SHOAL CREEK, Ala. – The New Mexico State Aggies improved one spot in the final round and finished ninth at the NCAA Shoal Creek Regional Saturday at the Shoal Creek Country Club.
 
NM State posted a final round 310, the best of those not making the top six, and finished with a 931 for the tournament. The Aggies finished three strokes behind No. 47 Clemson who placed eighth at 929. No. 16 California was seventh at 924.
 
NM State finished the regional four strokes ahead No. 41 Vanderbilt who was 10th at 935. The Aggies, who concluded their season, beat a total of five Top 50 teams in the tournament and was the top non-Top 50 team.
 
"I can honestly say we were very close to accomplishing all of our goals," said NM State head coach Jackie Booth. "We turned a lot of heads and finished six spots better than our incoming seed. This regional was a great experience and taught us a lot about our games and course management."
 
The Aggies were paced on the day by the play of WAC Champion Kennedie Montoya. The sophomore of Thacker, Ariz., toured the par 72, 6,470-yard Shoal Creek course in 4-over-par 76, her best round of the regional. She finished the tournament with a birdie on her final hole at No. 9. Montoya finished the tournament at 235.
 
NM State was also led by their two seniors, Viviana Macias and Kacey Dalpes, who both finished their collegiate careers with a 5-over 77.
 
Macias, a senior from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, was the Aggies leader for the tournament, tying for 29th at 15-over 231. She finished her final round with a birdie on the par 3 eighth and parred the par 4 ninth.
 
Dalpes, a senior from Alamogordo, N.M., bounced back from Friday's round to post the 77 and finished in a tie for 58th at 237. Dalpes finished her collegiate career by leading the team with three birdies in the final round.
 
"We were quite fortunate to have the leadership of two awesome seniors Kacey Dalpes and Viviana Macias this year," said Booth. "Their examples on the golf course and in the classroom were legendary. They will be greatly missed."
 
Juniors Valeria Macias, younger sister of Viviana, and Camille Orito from Fresno, Calif./Clovis West, both shot an 8-over 80 in the final round. Both tied for 47th at 234, one stroke better than Montoya.
 
The regional was won by No. 8 Northwestern who won by 18 strokes with an 887. But making the top six was the key, as those teams advance to the NCAA Championships at the Eugene Country Club on May 20-25 in Eugene, Ore. No. 22 Florida State was second at 905, two better than No. 9 Oklahoma State at 907 in third and three in front of host No. 1 Alabama in fourth at 908. No. 25 Tennessee was fifth at 912 and No. 50 Michigan sixth at 916.
 
The region had a tri-champion individually with FSU's Matilda Castren, Cal's Marianne Li and Northwestern's Janet Mao all finishing at 4-over 220. Li qualified for the NCAA championship as one of the top three players not on a qualifying team joining Clemson's Lauren Stephenson and Purdue's August Kim.
 
The Aggies had another great season that saw NM State win its third Western Athletic Conference Championship, have all five players named to the All-WAC teams, have the WAC Player of the Year in Vivi Macias, WAC Coach of the Year in Booth, WAC Tournament Champion in Montoya and advanced to their third straight NCAA Tournament.
 
"The 2015-16 season was definitely one for the record books," Booth added. "I'm looking forward to taking it one step further next year!"