Mercedes Aldana of South Alabama tied for fifth place at the Momentum Transportation UNF Intercollegiate, held at Jacksonville Golf & Country Club. Aldana finished with a three-round score of 221 (75-73-73), marking her third career top-five finish and her first of the 2025-26 season.
South Alabama placed sixth as a team, recording a total score of 920 (315-303-302) over three rounds. The Jaguars improved their performance in the second round by dropping 16 strokes from their opening round. Their second-round team score of 303 was tied with Campbell for the fourth-lowest among all teams in that round.
Oklahoma State, ranked No. 29 nationally, won the tournament with a team score of 888, finishing five strokes ahead of Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU). FGCU’s Leonie Wulfers was the only player to finish under par, posting a three-under 213 (71-69-73).
Head coach Marcelo Huarte commented on his team’s performance: “We’ve got a lot of talent on this team and that’s what kept us in the fight, even though we weren’t at our best. If we want to take the next step and become an elite program, there are areas that we have to clean up and that’s exactly what we’re committed to doing. Mercedes (Aldana) delivered a great performance in extremely tough conditions. It’s a significant step forward for her.”
Individually, Aldana finished ahead of five out of six ranked players competing in the field. She recorded 38 pars—tied for third most in the tournament—and seven birdies, which was tied for thirteenth-most among participants. Her average on par fours was 4.03, ranking third-best overall.
Other South Alabama golfers included Daniela Palmeros (tied for 34th), Lilian Buehle (tied for 39th), Ana Behnsen and McKenna Murphy (both tied for 53rd), and Ana Malcolm Poch (competing as an individual, tied for 67th). The Jaguars were also tied with Tulsa for having the second-lowest average on par-fives during the event and matched Augusta with 161 total pars—just two fewer than Oklahoma State.
The South Alabama women’s golf team will continue its spring schedule at the Gator Invitational from March 6-8 at Mark Bostic Golf Course in Gainesville, Florida.
For more information about South Alabama women’s golf or to follow updates throughout the season, visit usajaguars.com or follow @SouthAlabamaWGLF on Twitter and SouthAlabamaJaguars on Facebook.
