FORSYTH, Ga. - The Jacksonville University women's golf team continued its upward trajectory this fall, finishing as tournament champions of the Mercer Invitational. The tournament victory was the first for the program since the 2017-18 season.

The Dolphins held a spot at the top of the leaderboard for the majority of the tournament. JU finished the first two rounds in first place after shooting a one-under first round and an even-par second, finishing as the lone program under-par heading into the third round. On the second day of competition, Jacksonville held the lead, shooting four-over-par as a team to capture the team title.

Susana Olivares led the team in the victory, holding the top spot on the leaderboard on the first day after rounds of three-under and two-under. A one-over third round moved Olivares back two spots, but held the team in first place. It was a continued run of success for Olivares, who finished runner-up at the Edisto Island Classic, earning ASUN Golfer of the Week honors in Jacksonville's last time out.

Next for the Dolphins was Sophia Perkins, finishing the tournament at three-over-par. Perkins finished round one with an even-par scorecard, shooting one-under in the second round. After a four-over final round, Perkins earned 11th place, using stellar first and second round scorecards to put her in the top-12 finishers.

Finishing third for Jacksonville was Casey Powell, rising up three spots in the final round after shooting one-under. Powell's final round was the best on the team, moving herself into a top-15 finish. Powell shot four-over and three-over in the first and second rounds, but pulled back into contention on the final day.

Nicky Lautre and Ivete Rodrigues rounded out the Dolphin lineup in the event, with Lautre finishing in 17th place. Rodrigues rounded out her tournament with an even-par finish, sneaking into the top-20 by moving up six spots.

The Dolphins wrapped up an exciting fall schedule with the tournament win, earning a second and third place finish earlier in the fall, finding that elusive tournament title to head into the winter break. Next for JU is the Sea Best Intercollegiate on January 27th and 28th.