MOBILE, Ala. – Paced by a career-low-tying 6-under-par 66 from Jack Hiluta, the University of South Alabama men’s golf team made a significant move in the team standings on the final day of the Mobile Bay Intercollegiate Tuesday.

Blake Kelley, Chris Piumelli and Lane Hulse each fired rounds of par or better, giving the Jaguars a 279 team score of the final 18 holes; not only did USA improve its team total by 24 shots over the better of two rounds on the first day of the event, it matched Kentucky for the low round of the tournament after both fired 9-under-par totals over the last 18 holes.

That effort helped the Jags climb from a tie for 12th to eighth place at the end of the event with a three-round 886 total.

“We talked yesterday about today being a one-day tournament,” observed Jaguar head coach Ben Hannan.  “We tied for first today and jumped a few places in the standings, so I’m very proud of everyone; there are certainly things we can build on heading to Lafayette next week.”

Teeing off on the 10th hole at the par-72, 7,212-yard Magnolia Grove Crossings Golf Course, Hiluta birdied his first and third holes of the morning to move to 2-under par.  Two fours on the par-five 13th and 16th holes helped him make the turn at 4-under, and he also birdied both par fives on the front —Nos. 4 and 6 — to finish with a 4-under-par 212 total to tie for second place.

His mark set the course record, matching his previous low first set on April 11 last season at the UK Bluegrass Invitational; it would stand for a few hours until Middle Tennessee’s Jason Millard turned in a 9-under-par 63 while playing in the final group.  Millard’s effort allowed him to hold off Hiluta by seven strokes for medalist honors, preventing the Jag from claiming the honor for a second year in a row at the event, and it also helped the Blue Raiders claim the team title with a 54-hole score of 1-under-par 863.

It marked the seventh time in the last eight rounds that Hiluta has shot at or below par, as he has posted four scores in the 60s during that span.  He was tied with Kentucky’s Chase Parker, who also recorded a 212 three-round total, as they were the only competitors out of the 84 individuals in the field to shoot under par over 54 holes.

Hulse, playing in his first collegiate tournament, shot his low score of the event with a final-round even-par 72 as he finished tied for 15th with a 54-hole 220 total.  After making the turn at 1-over par, he posted back-to-back birdies on the third and fourth to finish with a 35 over the final nine holes.

Piumelli moved up 10 spots in the individual standings after a 1-under-par 71 on the last day of the event, which was highlighted by a 3-under-par 33 on the front nine as he birdied the second, third, sixth and seven holes.  He finished with a 228 score over 54 holes.

Kelley was one shot behind Piumelli, climbing 17 spots into a tie for 59th after firing a 2-under-par 70.  He carded three birdies on his opening nine holes — including on both par fives before the turn — adding a four on the par-five, 528-yard sixth.  David Leathem contributed his lowest round of the event as well, collecting a pair of birdies en route to a 1-under-par 35 on the back nine; he would end up with a 233 54-hole score.

“I was very pleased with the guys and how they bounced back.  They showed a lot of heart and pride today,” stated Hannan.  “Jack made a great run at defending his title, playing a bogey-free round; he really had a terrific tournament.  And I was very impressed with Lane and his competitiveness today, to come out and shoot 4-over-par in his first collegiate tournament is encouraging.  Blake rebounded as did Chris, which let us kick out a 74.

“The course was more playable today, but they all showed a ton of heart.”

Christian Blanchet led a quartet of Jags competing as individuals, using an even-par 72 to record a 223 total and tie for 31st.  His final round included three birdies and three bogeys, as he shot a 36 on each side of the course.  McLain Leberte’s 74 was his lowest score of the event, and after birdies on Nos. 4, 7 and 16 he tied for 56th place with a 228 two-day score.  Chris Bockstael had a 239 54-hole score and Garth Boyd shot a 252 over the three rounds in his first appearance of the season.

Middle Tennessee was the lone school in the field of 15 to finish below par as a squad.  Kentucky was second with a 54-hole 874 score, Akron and Charlotte tied for third at 879 and Vanderbilt rounded out the top five two shots in back of the Zips and 49ers.

The Jags will be back in action when the Louisiana Classics begins on Monday, March 7, with 36 holes at the Oakbourne Country Club in Lafayette, La.  The tournament will conclude with the final round the following day.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com.  Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

—USA—

Mobile Bay Intercollegiate
Magnolia Grove Crossings Golf Course, Mobile, Ala.
Par 72, 7,212 yards

Team Scores: 1) Middle Tennessee 292-289-282—863 (-1); 2) Kentucky 293-302-279—874; T3) Charlotte 293-298-288—879; T3) Akron 301-291-287—879; 5) Vanderbilt 293-299-289—881; 6) Memphis 301-297-284—882; 7) Southern Mississippi 300-293-291—884; 8) South Alabama 303-304-279—886; 9) Mississippi State 294-301-293—888; 10) South Florida 300-295-295—890; 11) Louisville 300-301-290—891; 12) Louisiana-Lafayette 312-295-286—893; 13) Arkansas State 302-299-297—898; 14) Illinois State 309-307-292—908; 15) Troy 311-314-294—919.

Individual Leaders: T1) Jason Millard, MT 70-72-63—205 (-11); T2) Jack Hiluta, USA 74-72-66—212 (-4); T2) Chase Parker, UK 73-69-70—212; T4) Brett Patterson, MT 74-70-73—217; T4) Cody Martin*, UK 73-73-71—217; T6) Jonathan Fly, UM 76-73-69—218; T6) Lloyd du Preez, ASU 72-72-74—218; T6) Adam Hofmann, VU 74-75-69—218; T9) six individuals with 219.

South Alabama Scores: T2) Jack Hiluta 74-72-66—212 (-4); T15) Lane Hulse 75-73-72—220;  T31) Christian Blanchet* 75-76-72—223; T56) Chris Piumelli 77-80-71—228; T56) McLain Leberte* 75-79-74—228; T59) Blake Kelley 77-82-70—229; T72) David Leathem 80-79-74—233; T81) Chris Bockstael* 81-77-81—239; 84) Garth Boyd* 87-79-86—252.
*denotes competing as an individual