Eighth at ANNIKA

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - The Knights (-5) finished eighth at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate Tuesday, after battling some of the toughest teams in the country. Senior Ashley Holder (-6) finished tied for 11th among individuals.

"I'm really excited for the team and proud of how they performed," head coach Emily Marron said. "We held our own in an elite field and proved that we belong with the best. The girls are continuing to improve with each week and it's great seeing the enthusiasm amongst them."

UCF was tied for fifth heading into the final round after a solid start from Holder and Freshman Maria Balcazar (-3). The pair were a combined four-under par at the turn and either had yet to make a bogey.

Junior Kaeli Jones (+7) got in on the action at after the turn, driving the green on the 264-yard par-4 second and burying a 10-foot putt for eagle.

As the day wore on, the Black and Gold was unable to continue its momentum down the stretch. The one exception being Balcazar, who finished tied for 21st after a final round 69 (-3).

Holder was -2 through 14 holes but added three bogies coming home, narrowly missing a top-10 individual finish. Seniors Johanna Larsson (+4) and Ayaka Nakayama (+6) tied for 40th and 47th respectively while Jones finished 53rd.

Next up for the Knights is the Cougar Classic October 2-4 in Charleston, S.C.