JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman's women's golf team will try to keep the hot hand when it travels to Calera, Ala. for the Montevallo Full Moon BBQ Invitational.  The Eagles are coming off just the second sub-300 round in team history after shooting 299 as a group on the final day of the Smokey Mountain Intercollegiate. 

The host school, Montevallo, was able to hold off the red hot Eagles at the SMI by three strokes.  The Eagles finished at 620 for the two day event, while Montevallo wound up in fifth with a 617.

Meridith Hawkins (Powell, Tenn.) ripped a 71 (-1) to shoot to fourth on the leaderboards at the Smokey Mountain Intercollegiate and earn herself a spot on the SMI All-Tournament team on the final day at the invitational.

Hawkins was one of a slew of Eagles who upped their play on the second day of the tournament.  Carson-Newman sliced 21 strokes from day one to day two to finish at 299 for the day.

Only a 295 at the Elite Linen Service Invitational in 2009 outranks the Eagles' round.  The 299 is tied for the sixth lowest round in SAC women's golf history. 

Every Eagle that hit the course improved their games by three strokes for the second round of the SMI. 

"I've been trying to work on the things that I struggled with last year," Hawkins said. "It's exciting for me because all my hard work is starting to pay off.  I just have to focus on those little things and really be zoned in."

Hawkins birdied 13 and 14 back-to-back.  Chelsea Passmore (Knoxville, Tenn.) eagled 13 to set the Eagles off right.  Passmore had the biggest jump of the day, going from an 85 to a 74 (+2) for a two-day 159 and in a tie for 37^th. 

-CN-