Monday, April 1
Greenville, NC
Jacksonville State University
at
Ironwood Invitational
Photo by: Brandon Phillips/JSU
True Freshmen Lead Jax State In Final Regular Season Event
4/2/2024 8:07:00 PM | Women's Golf
GREENVILLE, N.C. – In the final event of the regular season for the Jacksonville State women's golf team, a pair of true freshmen led the way.
Jinger Heath claimed a third-place finish and Ashley Stevenson tied for seventh to lead the Gamecocks to eighth at East Carolina's Ironwood Invitational, the team's final tune-up before the Conference USA Championship in two weeks.
Heath, a true freshman from Decatur, Ala., finished the 54-hole event on the par-72, 6,371-yard Ironwood Golf and Country Club with a 2-over 218 to claim sole possession of third in the 90-player field. She was steady throughout the two-day tournament, shooting rounds of 72 to open and close with a 74 sandwiched between.
Stevenson, from Fontainebleau, France, used a 2-under second round to pace her 6-over 222 over the event. The finish gives them some momentum headed into the upcoming conference tournament.
"It was very encouraging to see Jinger get back on track playing her level of golf and seeing good results during a challenging week," head coach Robbie Fields added. "Ashley kept up her great Spring which is really exciting going into the most important tournament of the year."
Jax State finished in the middle of the pack in the 15-team tournament. The Gamecocks' 54-hole score of 914 was just five shots behind fourth place and only seven ahead of 12th place. A 308 in each the first and third rounds along with a second-round 298 on Monday afternoon got them there on a challenging tract.
"This week presented us with quite a few challenges, some we handled really well and some we get to learn from moving forward," Fields added, "We have had a really good Spring, and this doesn't take away from that. We have some really high standards on this team, so they're itching to get to work. Now we get to spend the next twelve days building on what we've done well and can do better to prepare for the CUSA Championship."
Heath was steady, leading the field in pars with 44, five more than the closest competitor. She made no more than three bogeys in any round, including an even-par first round that was built by a birdie, a bogey and 16 pars. It marks the third Top 10 and second-top-five finish in her debut season.
"I went into this event with a lot of focus," Heath said. "Even though I didn't have the finish I wanted this week there is a lot to build off of going into the conference tournament."
Stevenson built her 54-hole score of 222 around that second round. She made two birdies and 16 pars in what was the only bogey-free round played in the tournament by any player in the field. She played Ironwood's par-4 holes at even par, the second-best in the field.
Junior Paula Perez Cubinas tied for 65th after a 54-hole score of 237. The native of Girona, Spain, carded rounds of 81-76-80.
Redshirt freshman Sandra Menes, making her debut in the Jax State lineup, tied for 70th with a 240 that was built by rounds of 78-80-82. The Bergen, Norway, native did make a team-high eight birdies in the tournament, tied for sixth-most in the field.
Redshirt freshman Rachel Camp rounded out the Jax State lineup in a tie for 73rd. The native of Peachtree City, Ga., signed for rounds of 82-78-81.
The Gamecocks turn their attention to the CUSA Championship, which will be held April 15-17 at High Meadow Ranch Golf Club in Magnolia, Texas.
Jinger Heath claimed a third-place finish and Ashley Stevenson tied for seventh to lead the Gamecocks to eighth at East Carolina's Ironwood Invitational, the team's final tune-up before the Conference USA Championship in two weeks.
Heath, a true freshman from Decatur, Ala., finished the 54-hole event on the par-72, 6,371-yard Ironwood Golf and Country Club with a 2-over 218 to claim sole possession of third in the 90-player field. She was steady throughout the two-day tournament, shooting rounds of 72 to open and close with a 74 sandwiched between.
Stevenson, from Fontainebleau, France, used a 2-under second round to pace her 6-over 222 over the event. The finish gives them some momentum headed into the upcoming conference tournament.
"It was very encouraging to see Jinger get back on track playing her level of golf and seeing good results during a challenging week," head coach Robbie Fields added. "Ashley kept up her great Spring which is really exciting going into the most important tournament of the year."
Jax State finished in the middle of the pack in the 15-team tournament. The Gamecocks' 54-hole score of 914 was just five shots behind fourth place and only seven ahead of 12th place. A 308 in each the first and third rounds along with a second-round 298 on Monday afternoon got them there on a challenging tract.
"This week presented us with quite a few challenges, some we handled really well and some we get to learn from moving forward," Fields added, "We have had a really good Spring, and this doesn't take away from that. We have some really high standards on this team, so they're itching to get to work. Now we get to spend the next twelve days building on what we've done well and can do better to prepare for the CUSA Championship."
Heath was steady, leading the field in pars with 44, five more than the closest competitor. She made no more than three bogeys in any round, including an even-par first round that was built by a birdie, a bogey and 16 pars. It marks the third Top 10 and second-top-five finish in her debut season.
"I went into this event with a lot of focus," Heath said. "Even though I didn't have the finish I wanted this week there is a lot to build off of going into the conference tournament."
Stevenson built her 54-hole score of 222 around that second round. She made two birdies and 16 pars in what was the only bogey-free round played in the tournament by any player in the field. She played Ironwood's par-4 holes at even par, the second-best in the field.
Junior Paula Perez Cubinas tied for 65th after a 54-hole score of 237. The native of Girona, Spain, carded rounds of 81-76-80.
Redshirt freshman Sandra Menes, making her debut in the Jax State lineup, tied for 70th with a 240 that was built by rounds of 78-80-82. The Bergen, Norway, native did make a team-high eight birdies in the tournament, tied for sixth-most in the field.
Redshirt freshman Rachel Camp rounded out the Jax State lineup in a tie for 73rd. The native of Peachtree City, Ga., signed for rounds of 82-78-81.
The Gamecocks turn their attention to the CUSA Championship, which will be held April 15-17 at High Meadow Ranch Golf Club in Magnolia, Texas.
Players Mentioned
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