Figueroa Shines on National Stage, Places Third in NCAA Division II Men’s Golf National Championship

Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) junior Mauricio Figueroa shined on the national stage, finishing in third place of the NCAA Division II Men’s Golf Championship as stroke play concluded on Wednesday.

Figueroa made history by becoming the first individual golfer to qualify for the NCAA National Championship and represented TAMIU Dustdevil Athletics proudly with a top five finish, the highest-ever national spotlight for a TAMIU golfer, both men’s and women’s.

Figueroa ended the tournament with a final round card of E (72), making par on 14 holes, while sinking birdie on the par five 14th and the par four 18th, countering bogies on two par fours, 14 and 17. He opened the day with 12 consecutive pars.

“What a year for TAMIU Men’s Golf and especially Mauricio,” said head coach Rudy González, “It’s special any time you go into a final round with an opportunity to win a National Championship. That is why we work every day, to have that moment. Mauricio executed well today, we were just outplayed on a very tough day at the Avalon Lakes Golf Course.”

Figueroa opened the tournament on Monday shooting a -5 (67) to sit in a tie for second place entering Tuesday’s second round, then registered a -3 (69) in that second round to hold the clubhouse lead entering the final round.

For the tournament, across 54 holes, Figueroa scored a total of 35 pars, 12 birdies, six bogeys and an eagle in Tuesday’s second round on the par five 14th.

Figueroa concludes the best individual season in TAMIU Golf history. He competed in 10 tournaments during the 2022-23 season, winning one (Midwestern State Invitational), placing top five in seven, top 10 in eight and top 15 in all 10.

Figueroa’s time as a Dustdevil also came to an end and he goes down as one of the best in TAMIU history. Including his impressive play this year, he also won a regular season tournament in 2021-22, as well as the 2022 Lone Star Conference Championship, setting a 54-hole record -16 for the tournament, making last year’s West/South Central Regional where he placed T-20th.

Furthermore, he was named to the PING All-South Central Region team in both 2022 and 2023 and earned the TAMIU Director of Athletics Award for his success both on the links and in the classroom.

“We say goodbye to a golfer that impacted our community, our home club (Laredo Country Club), our programs and the entire University,” said González, “He led by example, did things the right way and there isn’t a coach prouder than I am of Mauricio. To Mau, we say thanks for the memories.”

To learn more about TAMIU Dustdevil Athletics, visit https://godustdevils.com and follow Dustdevil Athletics, @TAMIUAthletics, on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.

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Summer Semester I and III begin Monday, June 5, 2023. Summer Semester II begins Monday, July 10, 2023. The first day of classes for the Fall semester is Monday, Aug. 28, 2023.