BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — Camryn Carreon earned her school-record fourth career victory to guide the UTSA women’s golf team to third place at the Dale McNamara Invitational, which wrapped up on Tuesday at the Golf Club of Oklahoma (par 72/6,242 yards).
Carreon posted a 12-under-par 204 to win her second straight tournament and collect her fourth individual title as a Roadrunner, all of which have occurred this calendar year. After opening the week with a 7-under 69-68—137 on Monday, the senior from San Antonio fired a 5-under 67 today to move from third place into first, finishing two shots ahead of Nebraska’s Kelli Ann Strand, who posted a 10-under 206 (70-66-70).
Meanwhile, the Roadrunners placed third in the 14-team field, also receiving top-30 finishes from Morgan Ellison, who tied for 15th, and Maria Bastarrica, who was 27th. UTSA bounced back from a 2-over 290 in the opening round with back-to-back red numbers, logging a 4-under 284 on Monday afternoon followed by a 2-under 286 today to end up at 4-under 860, two shots behind runner-up South Florida (-6) and four behind team champion and host Tulsa (-8) while tying for the third-best 54-hole team score versus par in program history. The Roadrunners ended up two strokes in front of Colorado State and 10 ahead of fifth-place Nebraska in registering their third top-four finish in as many events this fall.
Carreon’s final-round scorecard featured six birdies to give the all-conference performer 14 for the tournament. She followed a pair of pars with a birdie on the 364-yard, par-4 third and also birdied the 367-yard, par-4 sixth hole en route to a 1-under 35 on the front. She avoided a bogey on the back, which saw her circle her number on four holes, including back-to-back birdies on Nos. 15-16, for a 4-under 32 on that side.
“I’m so excited for this win,” said Carreon, the 2023 NCAA San Antonio Regional champion. “Back-to-back wins just seems surreal. Mostly, I’m happy for my team. Third place is definitely something to be excited about. Every one works so hard, so it’s nice when it comes together on the course and we’re rewarded. We are definitely trending in the right direction.”
Carreon’s win broke a tie for most career wins by a Roadrunner that she held with Fabiola Arriaga and Julie Houston. Her 54-hole total matched sophomore teammate Daniela Abonce for the second-best in program history behind Carreon’s 14-under 202 recorded in winning the Trinity Forest Invitational in March. She now has turned in eight consecutive par-or-better rounds, as well as seven sub-70 scorecards in nine rounds this fall, giving her a 69.1 stroke average this season.
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— UTSA Women's Golf (@UTSAwomensgolf) October 10, 2023
UTSA senior Camryn Carreon won the Dale McNamara Invitational title with a 12-under-par 204 (69-68-67), securing her second straight and school-record fourth career victory. #BirdsUp ๐ค pic.twitter.com/mpjIcSgWmY
Ellison carded a 1-over 217 to grab a share of 15th place, her second top-15 finish of the campaign. The junior from Georgia followed a pair of even-par scorecards on Monday with a 1-over 73 that was headlined by four birdies, including back-to-back on Nos. 11-12 to give her 11 for the week.
Bastarrica registered the top finish of her young UTSA career, as the freshman from Spain turned in a 4-over 220 to tie for 27th. After opening with a 74-72—146 yesterday, she posted a 74 that included three birdies with two coming on a three-hole stretch on the front nine.
Olivia Williams tied for 42nd with a 223 (77-72-74) and Abonce finished 52nd with a 226 (75-79-72) to round out the UTSA lineup, while Hunter Nugent finished 79th (80-80-74—234) while playing as an individual.
The Roadrunners will return to action on Oct. 22-23 at the Jim West Challenge in San Marcos, Texas.
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