SADDLEBROOKE, Ariz. — Victoria Schuldt is tied for second place and UTSA is in sole possession of third after the opening round of the MountainView Collegiate, which teed off Friday at The Preserve Golf Club (par 72/6,405 yards).
Schuldt fired a 5-under-par 67 to tie the UTSA freshman record for low score versus par and earn a share of second in the individual standings. The freshman from Germany wrote down five birdies during a bogey-free opening round and is one of four players three shots off the pace set by Iowa State’s Alexandra Vidal Rivera with 36 holes left to play over the next two days.
Meanwhile, the Roadrunners registered a 5-under 283 and are in third in the 16-team field, one shot behind North Texas and 10 back of No. 25 Iowa State. UTSA owns a two-shot lead over Iowa and is four strokes ahead of a tie for fifth between No. 32 Houston and No. 33 Kansas State.
Schuldt started her round on No. 10 and reeled off five consecutive pars before recording her first birdie of day with a three on the 358-yard 15th. She also birdied the 355-yard 17th en route to a 34 on the back nine. She opened the front with a three on the 366-yard, par-4 first and then circled her number on the 147-yard sixth and the 520-yard eighth to help stake her to a 3-under 33 on that side of the course. Her 67 is the second sub-70 score of the season, as she closed out the Chevron Collegiate last month with a 69.
Daniela Abonce is also in the red numbers after carding a 1-under 71, good for a tie for ninth place. The senior from Mexico bounced back from a bogey on her third hole of the day with a birdie on the 355-yard 17th. She added a second birdie on her final hole, the 380-yard, par-4 ninth, to get to 1-under for the round.
Maria Bastarrica shot an even-par 72 and is tied for 19th. The junior from Spain logged three birdies, including a four on the 501-yard 10th and a three on the 420-yard 12th to start her day. She added a third with a four on the 496-yard third.
Kayla Black provided the other counting score for the Roadrunners with a 73 that featured three birdies and puts the freshman from Canada in a tie for 33rd.
Lauren Rios is one shot behind Black in a tie for 41st after turning in a 74 that was highlighted by a trio of birdies, all on the front side.
The second round is slated for Saturday, and the Roadrunners will tee off from No. 1 beginning at 11:10 a.m. CT.
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