LAS CRUCES, N.M. - New Mexico State senior Viviana Macias led wire-to-wire to win the individual title and lead the Aggies to a school record score while finishing second as a team at the 2015 Aggie Invitational on Wednesday.
Macias fired a final round 1-under-par 71 to win the event by four strokes at 6-under 210. BYU's Kendra Dalton shot a 2-over 74 in the final round to join teammate Alex White who recorded a 1-under 71 in second at 2-under 214. Aggie junior Camille Orito was part of a three-way tie in fourth at 1-under 215.
As a team, NM State recorded a final round 291 to finish at even-par 864, five strokes behind team champion BYU who posted a 290 on the day to end at five-under 859.
The Aggies 864 broke the previous school record for a 54-hole tournament of 866, set at the NM State Golf Course in the 2010 Price's Give 'Em Five Intercollegiate.
"I'm very proud of our team," said NM State Head Coach Jackie Booth. "We broke the school record this week and played some great golf. We put a maximum effort on the course and I can't be any happier."
Macias held a one stroke lead entering the final round, but struggled a bit on the front nine. The senior from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, put up three bogeys with a birdie to make the turn at 2-over par.
She answered the call on the back nine, with birdies at No. 10, 14 and 16 and finished the par 72, 6,358-yard course at 1-under for the day.
"Vivi stepped up on the back side and wouldn't let anyone stop her," said Booth. "She had command of her game and won it. She did a great job."
Macias just missed the NM State record of 209 set in Nov. 1990 by All-American Jane Egan.
Orito, a junior from Fresno, Calif./Clovis West, played steady golf after an bogeys on No. 1 and 6. She recorded a birdie on No. 8 and played par golf the rest of the way to finish in the Top 5.
Junior Kristen Cline of Soccoro, N.M., carded a 4-over 76 in the final round to finish alone in 15th at 5-over 221. Junior Valeria Macias of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, tallied an even-par 72 in the last round to for 16th at 6-over 222.
Senior Kacey Dalpes of Alamogordo, N.M., and Aggie individual Kennedie Montoya, a sophomore from Thatcher, Ariz., matched 3-over 75's in the final round to finished tied at 11-over 227.
NM State has one more tournament on the fall portion of the schedule. The Aggies travel to Hawai'i to play in the Rainbow Wahine Invitational Oct. 20-22 at the Leilehua Golf Course on Oahu.