GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Alex Darwin matched her best round of the season with a two-over 74 and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs matched its best team score with a 28-over 316 as the Mountain Lions sit in fifth after the first round of the Maverick Spring Invitational the Golf Club at Redlands Mesa. Darwin is fourth overall and three strokes off the lead.

Darwin turned in her best round of the spring season and her best since the second round of the RMAC South event on Oct. 11, last fall. She tied for the sixth-best round in program history and has six of the top 10 rounds in the program. Darwin is one stroke behind the second-place golfers of Summer Vigil from Fort Lewis and Nicole Rooney and Colorado Mesa, and three behind Colorado Christian's Katrina Mendez.

Raquell Castillo recorded a seven-over 79 and her second-best round of the season. She turned in her best round of the spring by two strokes from the Last Vegas Desert Classic, and it was her best opening round since a 77 at the 2015 RMAC South event. Timbrelee McNair recorded a nine-over 81 and Regina Dillon closed out the team score with an 82, as all four of the Mountain Lion scorers finished in the top 30 among the 66 golfers.

UCCS tied its eighth-best round in program history and tied its season best score from the second round of the RMAC South event last fall. The performance was the third-best opening round score in program history and the best since a 17-over 305 at the RMAC Championships last spring.

The Mountain Lions are three strokes behind MSU Denver and seven behind Colorado Mesa's top team in the standings. Ten of the 12 RMAC schools are in the tournament ahead of next week's conference championship.

UCCS will be paired with Mesa's top team and Colorado Christian for tomorrow's final round. The Mountain Lions will start from holes five through nine at 9:30 a.m.