SAN MARCOS, Texas — Maria Bastarrica is in the top 25 individuals and the No. 50-ranked UTSA women’s golf team is in 10th place after the opening of the Jim West Challenge on Sunday at Kissing Tree Golf Club (par 72/6,010 yards).
Bastarrica is in a tie for 25th place at 1-under-par 143 and the Roadrunners are sitting at 1-over 577 (286-291) through 36 holes of the 54-hole tournament.
Bastarrica opened the week with an even-par 72 in the morning round, recording four birdies with three coming on the front nine. The freshman from Spain posted a one-shot improvement in the afternoon, using three birdies to help counter a pair of bogeys en route to matching her best score of the season. She is only two strokes out of the top 15 in the 70-player field.
Meanwhile, UTSA is two shots ahead of TCU, seven in front of Tulane and 18 better than Washington State. The Roadrunners trail ninth-place and 29th-ranked Oklahoma State by just four strokes in the 13-team field led by No. 26 Houston, 39th-ranked SMU and host Texas State at 15-under par.
Camryn Carreon logged the top round of the day for the Roadrunners with a 3-under 69 to start her week. The senior from San Antonio recorded four birdies against just one bogey in the morning before settling for a 77 in round two that dropped her into a tie for 39th shared by three of her teammates.
Morgan Ellison carded a pair of 1-over 73s to also grab a share of 39th. The junior from Georgia posted three birdies and 28 pars on the day, the second-best total in the field.
Daniela Abonce also sits at 2-over 146 through two rounds. The sophomore from Mexico opened with a 72 before turning in a 74 in the second round, matching Ellison with 28 pars to go with a trio of pars on the day.
Olivia Williams equaled Ellison with a 73 in each of the two rounds on Sunday. The sophomore out of England registered four birdies, including three in the afternoon.
The final round is set for an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start on Monday.
-UTSA-