HUNTSVILLE, Texas – UT Arlington's Nirjara Gulhane sits in top-10 contention after turning in rounds of 76-74 on Monday, Sept. 23 as part of Sam Houston's Bearkat Invitational.
 
All four players in head coach Catherine Matranga's lineup rank in the top 25 individually as Monday's low round belonged to junior Nitisha Manikandesh who shot an opening-round 73.
 
Both Manikandesh and fellow junior Kamri Gabel led the UTA squad with 24 pars a piece as Nirjara Gulhane tabbed the best par-3 scoring average of 3.00.
 
As a team, the Mavericks sit in 4th place – just four shots shy of Texas A&M – Commerce in 3rd. UTA produced consecutive rounds of 304, leading to a 608 36-hole total.

UTA SCORES
T-11) Nirjara Gulhane: 76-74
T-17) Nitisha Manikandesh: 73-79
T-17) Kamri Gabel: 78-74
T-21) Tarini Bhoga: 77-77
 
TEAM
4) UT Arlington: 304-304= 608 (+40)
 
INSIDE THE SCORES
Gulhane

• Gulhane began her day with a birdie on the opening hole (8) but unfortunately followed it up with back-to-back bogeys which pushed her card back to +1. The sophomore went on to produce a 37 on the back nine – her front nine – after rolling her second birdie on 18. Gulhane's momentum slowed down as several closing numbers led her to a round of 76.
• Gulhane cleaned up her play by two strokes as her 2nd-round 74 featured 11 pars, five bogeys and a pair of birdies – which came on 12 and 18.

Manikandesh

• Manikandesh submitted the best round of the day across UTA's lineup after a 1st-round 73. The junior's card consisted of one double, two bogeys and two birdies (4, 12).
• Unfortunately, Manikandesh's momentum didn't transfer over to Monday's second round after several big numbers were too much to overcome.

Gabel

• Uncharacteristically, Gabel did not record a single birdie across the first round of action in Huntsville. Aside from one double and five bogeys, the junior was able to card 12 pars, leading to a round of 78.
• Gabel birdied the first hole of Monday's second round and followed it up with four-consecutive pars to play the first five holes -1 (9-13). The junior went double-bogey on the next two holes before getting her card back down to +1 courtesy of a birdie on 18 before making the turn. Gabel recorded two bogeys across the closing eight holes, settling for a round of +3 (74).

Bhoga

• Bhoga played the first 14 holes +2 after two bogeys on 8 and 11. Unfortunately, the freshman carded two additional bogeys and a double across the final three holes, leading to a 1st-round 77.
• Not much changed for the freshman as she logged another round of 77. The Frisco product's card featured eight bogeys, eight pars and a pair of birdies – which came on holes 1 and 17.

NEXT UP
UTA will wrap up action in Huntsville with the final round of the Bearkat Invitational on Tuesday, Sept. 24 with tee times beginning at 7:45 a.m. from Bearkat Golf Course. 
 

– #BuckEm –

 
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