HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Led by an impressive outing from senior Claire Vermette, the Jacksonville State women's golf team capped its fall season with a sixth-place finish at Southern Miss' The Judson.
 
Vermette led the Gamecocks for the fourth time in five tournaments this fall, finishing in a tie for second in the 63-player field. The St. Petersburg, Fla., native fired a final-round 69 on the par-72, 6,136-yard Hattiesburg Country Club to post an even-par 216 for her 54-hole total. The final round moved her 10 spots up the leaderboard and within one shot of medalist Catharina Lohoff of South Alabama.
 
"I can't say enough about how impressive Claire has been lately and it really showed today," JSU head coach Fields said. "Knowing where she stood with five holes to play, she stepped up and hit some clutch shots and made some great putts to put herself in position to win. She's been working really hard on her mindset in pressure situations, and I'm super proud of the way she dominated in the moment."
 
Vermette made three birdies in a bogey-free final round on Tuesday, putting the finishing touches on a 54-hole tournament that saw her make three more pars than any other player in the field with 43. Her final-round 69 complimented rounds of 73 and 74 on Monday's 36-hole opening day. The second-place finish was the second-best of her impressive career and the best since winning the Mimosa Hills Intercollegiate in April of 2021.
 
She guided the Gamecocks to a sixth-place finish in the 11-team event, building upon momentum gained down the stretch of the fall schedule. They now head into the offseason prepared to make a strong run when the spring season begins.

"Today's round of golf was one of the most memorable and meaningful rounds of my career," Vermette said. "Knowing I had a chance to win, and still managing a bogey free round was something I've dreamed of accomplishing. I proved it to myself today that if I'm in that position again, I can come pretty close to closing it out and winning. I'm so happy with the way I attacked the golf course today, and for staying patient with myself. I'm already looking forward to next semester playing alongside this talented team, because we have a lot left in the tank."
 
On Tuesday, redshirt freshman Aaron Whitley claimed her first Top-20 finish with a tie for 19^th. The Osprey, Fla., native signed for a final-round 75 after shooting rounds of 76 and 72 on Monday to post a 54-hole score of 223. She capitalized on the par-5 holes at Hattiesburg Country Club, playing those at 4-under for the tournament – tied for second-best in the field.
 
Freshman Luciana Calbimonte also had the best tournament of her young career, turning in her first top-25 finish in a tie for 25^th. The native of Cochabamba, Bolivia, shot two rounds of 74 on Monday and finished with a 76 on Tuesday to post a total score of 224, 11 shots better than her previous 54-hole low.
 
Sophomore Paula Perez Cubinas (81-78-75) and freshman Ebby Somers (80-77-77) each recorded scores of 234 over the event and tied for 50^th, while freshman Anna Ymbern Quinoa (78-78-76) tied for 45^th with a 232 as an individual.
 
"I'm really excited about what I saw from our team this week," Fields said. "We're starting to get a grasp on what it takes to play the level of golf we want to play. This may not be highlighted anywhere, but Lu (Calbimonte) played the whole tournament without anything worse than a bogey, which is a major step in the right direction - allowing ourselves to make mistakes and not compounding them. We're a very different team now than we were two months ago, and I'm proud of our growth and really excited for what the Spring has in store for us after this offseason."