SAN JACINTO, Calif. — The UC Riverside Highlanders delivered an exceptional final-round performance at the UCR Soboba Spring Classic, shooting a tournament-best 287 (-1) on Wednesday to finish in second place with a three-round total of 883 (+19). The Highlanders' -1 performance on the 11^th hole, and their ability to finish strong propelled them past the field on the final day, securing the best team score of the round.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Mitzi Duarte was the standout performer for UC Riverside, carding a phenomenal 3-under 69 in the final round to secure fourth place individually at 218 (+2). Duarte's round featured a flawless back nine, where she birdied three holes in a row.  
• Janna Andaya followed closely with an impressive 1-under 71, tying for sixth place at 222 (+6). 
• Gabrielle Kiger, despite some challenges in the final round, contributed across the tournament to finish in 12th place at 224 (+8) after a closing 77 (+5).
• Sophia Luna capped her remarkable comeback with an even-par 72 in the final round, climbing to a tie for 18th place at 229 (+13). 
• Sofia Vargas added to the team's stellar day with a 75 (+3) in the final round, finishing tied for 22nd place at 233 (+17).
• Competing as an individual, Maleyna Gregorio finished tied for 18th at 229 (+13), matching Luna's total.

FROM COACH MARY RITCHIE

"It was a great day for our Highlanders! We didn't bring our best to rounds one and two. In fact, we dug ourselves a sizable hole that required us to really grind out a good performance in the final round. We were 18 shots out of the lead and in 4th place," said Coach Ritchie. "Today we had tons of looks for birdie all day and we minimized damage, which was something we couldn't accomplish in the first two days. When we got to the #11, the most difficult hole for the entire field, our team completed it in -1 which really catapulted us up the board and within striking distance of UCI. Everyone locked in and chased hard all the way to #18 and I couldn't be prouder of this team. It felt to us like a great preview for the Big West Championship and we are expecting to be back in the mix in April."

NOTABLES

• UC Riverside's 287 (-1) was the best score in the final round and tied for lowest score of the tournament. 
• Duarte's 3-under 69 was the best individual round of the tournament for UC Riverside, propelling her to a fourth-place finish.
• Luna's 12-stroke improvement from her opening round demonstrated her resilience and ability to adapt.

UP NEXT
The Highlanders head to Arizona as they compete in the GCU Invitational on Tuesday, February 25^th – 26^th.