BURLINGTON, N.C. – Junior transfer Jalea Culliver carded three consecutive rounds in the 70s in her maroon and gray debut to highlight play for the North Carolina Central University women's golf team at the Elon Invitational contested at Alamance Country Club on Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 19-20.
 
The Eagles opened up their second season of competition with a program record single-round team score of 322 in Monday's mornings competition. That team score was 18 shots better than NCCU's best team single-round score from its inaugural season.
 
That round featured a trio of 79s from Culliver, sophomore Olivia Renville and freshman Sidney Renville. Sophomore Zoe Key capped NCCU's record-setting round with a new collegiate personal low round of 85.
 
Culliver, who joined the Eagles after playing two seasons at the University of South Dakota, improved on her score each round to post NCCU's best finish at the Elon Invite. Culliver moved up 10 spots with a 75 in Monday afternoon's play and then she shot an impressive one-over par 72 on the 6,065-yard, par-71 layout.
 
Culliver's three-round total of 13-over par 226 was good for a tie for 23th place out of 60 golfers. Her collegiate low scorecard of 72 matched NCCU's second best single-round score in the programs brief history while her 54-hole total of 226 was the third best cumulative score, just two strokes off the program record.
 
Sydney Renville, who was making her collegiate debut, tallied a 76 in the final round to secure NCCU's second best score of 237 (79-82-76). Her sister Olivia Renville finished five shots behind with a sum of 242 (79-84-79).
 
The host Phoenix won the team title, their second consecutive first place result to start the year. Freshman Ashley Lafontaine led Elon to the triumph by securing her first collegiate medalist honors with a two-under par total of 211 (75-68-68).
 
NC Central finished in 11th place out of 11 teams and will next compete in the Grandover Fall Classic hosted by UNCG on Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 26-27.
 
NCCU Individual Results (60 Golfers)
T-23. Jalea Culliver (79-75-72—226)
T-48. Sidney Renville (79-82-76—237)
T-54. Olivia Renville (79-84-79—242)
59. Fatima Smith (106-108-108—322)
WD. Zoe Key (85-93-WD—WD)