HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE, Ark. – Senior Maria Blasco saved her best round for the last, shooting a final round career low 2-under par 70 on Tuesday to lead the Georgia State women’s golf team to a fourth-place finish at the Little Rock Golf Classic at Diamante Country Club.
Blasco made a team-high four birdies in the final round, shooting 34 on the back nine, which helped the Panthers to a 4-over 292 and 20-over par finish for the 54-hole event. The 292 total was the second-lowest third round score in the field.
Senior Kelly Strickland and sophomore Mahina Leveau led Georgia State for the week as each tied for 10th place. Leveau shot a final round 73, while Strickland added a 74 on Tuesday as the pair finished at 3-over par.
Central Arkansas took home the team title after finishing the three-day event at 4-under par. UCA’s Camila Moreno earned low medalist honors at 4-under par, one of just two golfers to finish the tournament under par.
“I’m so proud of this team,” head coach Jessica Steward said. “They fought hard and moved up a spot on the leaderboard on a day when the course was playing tough. We out played a lot of teams today because we put our mindset first and that’s a lesson we’ll be sure to take forward.
“Maria shot a career low and her first collegiate round under par. It’s great to see her end the tournament on a positive note.”
Top 5 Teams
1. Central Arkansas: -4
2. ULM: +9
3. Little Rock: +17
4. Georgia State: +20
5. Illinois State: +30
Top 5 Individuals
1. Camila Moreno (Central Arkansas): -4
2. Elise Parel (Houston Baptist): -2
t3. Karley Whittington (Central Arkansas): E
t3. Elin Kumlin (Central Arkansas): E
t3. Tania Nunez (Central Arkansas): E
Georgia State Results
t10. Kelly Strickland: +3 (74-71-74)
t10. Mahina Leveau: +3 (71-75-73)
t18. Ari Acuff: +5 (73-73-75)
46. Emma Berlin: +17 (80-75-78)
t47. Maria Blasco: +18 (83-81-70)
Next Up: Idle Hour Collegiate Classic; Nov. 8-9; Idle Hour Golf Club, Macon, Ga.