JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Sophomore Berta Sanchez is just one shot off of the lead and the Jacksonville State women's golf team is in fifth with 18 holes to play in the UNF Collegiate.
 
Sanchez opened the 54-hole event with a 3-under 69 on Monday morning before carding a 73 in her afternoon round on the par-72, 5,926-yard Jacksonville Golf and Country Club. The 36-hole score of 142 for the Barcelona, Spain, native is one behind a three-way tie for first that includes Penn State's Isha Dhruva, South Alabama's Carlota Garcia and host North Florida's Daniela Gonzalez Pinto.
 
The Gamecocks shot rounds of 293 and 299 on the first day of the two-day event and sits in fifth in the 17-team field. They trail Sam Houston and 49^th-ranked North Texas by just one shot for third, while No. 46 Furman is 11 shots better than JSU in second. UNF leads at 1-over with one round remaining on Tuesday.
 
Sanchez is in striking distance at the top of the 90-player field and her play on the course's par fours is a big reason why. The toughest portion of the layout saw her shoot even par on Monday, making her one of just five players to play the par fours at par or better. She made eight total birdies on Monday, fourth in the field, four of which came in the final seven holes of her opening round.
 
Junior Claire Vermette enters Tuesday's final round also in the Top 10, tied for 10^th with a 1-over 145. The St. Petersburg, Fla., native turned in rounds of 72 and 73, respectively, and is only four shots off the lead after 36 holes.
 
Senior Valentina Curet is tied for 36^th after making a surge in the afternoon. She opened her day with a 77 but rallied with an afternoon 74 that made a move of 13 spots up the leaderboard.
 
Senior Ana Perez Altuna (78-79) and freshman Paula Perez Cubinas (75-82) are tied for 65^th with 36-hole scores of 157. 
 
The Gamecocks are paired with Sam Houston and Western Kentucky in Tuesday's final round. Live scoring can be found online at www.golfstat.com.