LAKELAND, Fla. – The No. 21 University of North Georgia women's golf team finished in 12th place of a loaded field at the FSC Lady Moc Classic Tuesday afternoon. The competition was the first of the spring portion of the season for the Nighthawks.

Hosted by Florida Southern at Grasslands Country Club, the FSC Lady Moc Intercollegiate was a star-studded collection of some of the best women's golf teams in the country. Eleven of Clippd's top 30 teams in the country competed in the event including five of the top 10 in No. 1 Nova Southeastern, No. 2 Rollins, No. 7 Anderson, No. 8 Flagler and No. 10 Lynn.

Nova Southeastern won the team title with a score of 882 (+18), while Ana Maria Jiminez Rios of Tampa claimed medalist honors with a 214 (-2).

The Nighthawks posted a combined team score of 308 in each of the first two rounds of the three-round event, followed by a 313 on Tuesday in the final round.

The low golfer for UNG was graduate student Amari Smith who posted a total score of 228 at 12-over-par. Smith posted back-to-back rounds of 75 in the opening two outings, with a 78 in the final round. In total she finished  tied for 33rd among all golfers in the competition. 

The single best round of the entire tournament for the Nighthawks came from junior Ellie Rippee. The McKinney, Texas native recorded a two-over-par 74 in the second round of the tournament. Rippe had a pair of rounds at 80 to finish with a total score of 234, third on the team just behind senior Danielle Humphrey who posted a tournament total of 232. 

UNG now prepares itself for another tough test in the Low Tide Intercollegiate, hosted by Limestone University. The Nighthawks will travel to Dunes West Golf Club in Charleston, S.C. on Monday, Feb. 26 and Tuesday Feb. 27 with hopes to take down the tough competition.