BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – Claire Vermette carded the lowest 54-hole score in school history to pace the Jacksonville State women's golf team in its spring opener at The Atlantic Invitational this week.
 
Vermette fired a 6-under 207, one shot better than the previous school record of 208 set by Valentina Giraldo in 2017, claiming a tie for fourth in the 62-player field. The Gamecocks finished sixth with an 864, which was the second-lowest 54-score total in school history.
 
"This team has been working really hard this Spring and it was a really encouraging start," head coach Robbie fields said. "It's exciting to compete again and really fun to see these ladies perform the way that they did. I am so proud of what we accomplished this week and believe we have set the tone for the rest of the season."
 
A native of St. Petersburg, Fla., Vermette was locked in from the first round on the par-71, 5,840-yard West Course at Indian Spring Country Club. She started play with a bogey-free 69 on Monday, her second-straight bogey-free round after closing the fall with one at The Judson. A second-round 71 gave her a 140 after Monday's 36-hole mark, tied for the sixth-lowest score through two rounds in school history.
 
She saved her bast for the last round of the event. Vermette carded a 4-under and career-best 67 on Tuesday, which ties her for the fourth-lowest round in school history and the seventh-lowest round vs. par of any Gamecock. 
 
"Claire really turned up the heat when we got back from Winter break and it showed," Fields added. "Her last nine holes today was one of the best back nines I've been a part of. I'm really proud of all the hard work and effort she's putting in each day, and happy for her to see it paying off."
 
The record-breaking round catapulted her six spots up the leaderboard into the tie for fourth with Troy's ShaeBug Scarberry and Laura Fangmeyer. FGCU's Lousiane Gautheir won medalist honors with an 11-under 202.
 
"Before our season started, I was putting in extra hours during practice and I felt those really paid off this tournament," Vermette said. "To go five under in my last 10 holes of the round today was such a fun finisher, and it's really nice to see that I'm able to close out these rounds that mean so much to me. I can't wait to play out the rest of the season with Coach (Field) and the girls."
 
Jax State played as well as a team as almost any other in program history, using the seventh-lowest score in school history to open Monday's two-round day. The Gamecocks followed that with a 285 in the second-round, which is the third-lowest score ever shot by them in a round. A final-round 291 on Tuesday put them in a tie for sixth with Murray State and left them just three shots shy of the school's 54-hole record of 861 set in the 2021 OVC Championship.
 
Freshman Anna Ymbern Quinoa had her best showing as a Gamecock in the tournament, finishing 22^nd – 18 spots better than her previous best. Her 217 total was eight shots better than her previous best, while the rounds of 72-71-74 are the three-best scores in the young Jax State career for the Saint Cugat Del Valles, Spain, native.
 
Sophomore Paula Perez Cubinas tied for 31^st for the Gamecocks after carding rounds of 72-71-78 for her 54-hole score of 221, while freshmen Aaron Whitley and Ebby Somers tied for 40^th with a score of 223. Whitley shot 76-73-74 and Somers turned in rounds of 75-72-76.
 
Jax State will return to the links on March 6-7, when they travel to Jacksonville, Fla., to compete in the UNF Collegiate at the Jacksonville Golf and Country Club.