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GADSDEN, Ala.---It was a dominating performance as the Chattanooga Mocs swept top honors at the Chris Banister Invitational. The Mocs captured the team title by 21 strokes led by medalist Makenzie Cooper.
 
It's Cooper's second win of the season opening her ledger in October at the Evie Odom Invitational. She traversed the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail's Spring Lakes layout at 2-over par with consistent cards of 72, 73 and 73. That three better than teammate Giulia Foresta who was matched by Jacksonville State's Ashley Stevenson and first round leader Ali Schrock of Illinois State.
 
Kera Healey made it three Mocs in the top five tying for fifth with 223. Violeta Fernandez-Tagle posted her third top 10 in a row with sole possession of eighth at 225. Nieves Martin completed the starters at 238. Alexis Daniel paced the trio of Chattanooga individual performers with 233 as Carmen Belmonte (237) and Imogen Rafferty (240) completed the octet's numbers.
 
"We said last week that this was a winning team, and we proved it this week," Coach Colette Murray shared after the triumph. "Every great thing this program has done started with a win at the Chris Banister. We are young, and we are hungry.:
 
Today's 296 was led by Foresta's 70. Cooper came in with the aforementioned 73 just ahead of Healey's 74. Fernandez-Tagle had the final counter with 79, one better than Martin's drop score of 80. Daniel ended with 78 as Belmonte and Rafferty tuned in final rounds of 80 and 83, respectively.
 
The Mocs shot 887 as a team. The host Gamecocks were second with 908 as the Redbirds came in third at 911. North Alabama (918) claimed fourth followed by Northern Colorado (933), Queens (967), Stonehill (1019) and South Alabama (1030).
 
The ladies are back in action next Monday/Tuesday at the Spring Break Shootout. The squad heads to Dade City, Fla., for the 2-day, 54-hole event.
 
Chris Banister Invitational
March 10-12 (S-T) | Gadsden, Ala. | 54 holes (18/day)
RTJ Trail - Silver Lakes | Par 72 | 5,890 yards
 
Scores
1) Chattanooga: 295-296-296=887 (+23)
2) Jacksonville State: 312-296-300=908 (+44)
3) Illinois State: 307-300-304=911 (+47)
4) North Alabama: 312-307-299=918 (+54)
5) Northern Colorado: 314-304-315=933 (+69)
6) Queens: 324-315-328=967 (+103)
7) Stonehill: 357-331-331=1019 (+155)
8) South Alabama: 356-336-338=1030 (+166)
 
Mocs Student-Athletes:
1) Makenzie Cooper: 72-73-73=218 (+2)
T2) Giulia Foresta: 76-75-70=221 (+5)
T5) Kera Healey: 74-75-74=223 (+7)
8) Violeta Fernandez-Tagle: 73-73-79=225 (+9)
T19) Alexis Daniel (Ind): 77-78-78=233 (+17)
T23) Carmen Belmonte (Ind): 76-81-80=237 (+22)
T25) Nieves Martin: 76-82-80=238 (+22)
T28) Imogen Rafferty (Ind): 80-77-83=240 (+24)
 
Notes to Know

• 21st team win...all during Coach Colette Murray's tenure.
• First since 2016 USA Women's Invite (Feb. 22-23).
• Largest margin of victory since 30 shots separated the Mocs and College of Charleston in capturing the 2011 Southern Conference Championships.
• 3rd time winning the Chris Banister Invite in three visits (2007, 2008, 2024)...swept team & individual all three times (2007-Kelly Brotherton/2008-Emma de Groot).
• The 2007 win was in the program's first tournament starting a 3-0 start in an incredible beginning…the 2008 win started what was finished at the 2009 NCAA Championships, the program's first finals appearance.
• 1st title sweep since the 2015 Fall Invite topping Ole Miss by one led by Emily McLennan's school record 11 under (205)...the 205 total was broken by Cooper in the fall with a 7-under 203 at the Evie Odom Invite while McLennan still hold vs par mark.
• 22nd medalist all-time...all under Murray.
• 2nd medalist of the season (Cooper-Evie Odom in Fall).
• Last time with two medalists in a campaign? 2022: Dorota Zalewska - Brickyard Collegiate & SoCon Championships.
• 5th time with multiple medalist honors in a season by a single student-athlete: 2007-08 (2-Emma de Groot), 2008-09 (2-de Groot), 2015-16 (2-McLennan), 2021-22 (2-Zalewska) & 2023-24 (2-Cooper).
• 1st career top 5s for Foresta (T2) & Healey (T5)...last time with three top 5s? 2012 Lady Paladin Invite: 1st-Marion Duvernay, 2nd-Jordan Britt & T4th-McLennan).
• 3rd top 10 in as many events for Fernandez-Tagle finishing eighth.

 
History
Year: Team Scores | Top Individual
2007 (Fall): 1st, 288-297-300=885 (+21) | 1st, Kelly Brotherton, 74-72-70=216 (E)
2008 (Fall): 1st, 288-299-291=878 (+14) | 1st, Emma de Groot, 76-70-72=218 (+2)
2024 (Spring): 1st, 295-296-296=887 (+23) | 1st, Makenzie Cooper, 72-73-73=218 (+2)
 
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