Hilltopper Golf 9th After Opening Round
NORTH EAST, Pa. – The West Liberty University men's golf team finished the opening round of the NCAA Division II Atlantic/East Regional tournament in ninth place on a dry but breezy Thursday at Lake View Country Club.
Coach Thadd Obecny's Hilltoppers posted a team score of 27-over-par 315 to stake out their spot in the tightly-bunched field. St. Thomas Aquinas leads the team chase at 8-over-par 296, one shot better than Gannon (297) and two ahead of Davis & Elkins (298). Franklin Pierce (305) and Charleston (307) completed the top five.
Mountain East Conference Player of the Year Alex Easthom was low man on the day for the Black and Gold. Easthom charted a 2-over-par 74 on his first lap of the challenging 6,883-yard layout, leaving him in an 8-man logjam for third place in the medal chase. Sean Addie of Davis & Elkins is the first-round leader after shooting an even-par 72 with six players tied for second place at 73.
West Liberty's Peyton Moore birdied the final hole on Monday to back Easthom with a 4-over-par 76. Howard Peterson IV (82), Derek Graham (83) and Bo Orecchio (84) rounded out the Hilltopper squad.
After being among the last groups to hit the course on Thursday, the Black and Gold will be first off the tees on Friday when tournament play resumes at 9 a.m.
MEN'S GOLF
NCAA Division II Atlantic/East Regional
Lake View CC (North East, Pa.)
(6,883 yards – par 72)
First Round
Team Scoring
1. St. Thomas Aquinas 296; 2. Gannon 297; 3. Davis & Elkins 298; 4. Franklin Pierce 305; 5. Charleston 307; 6. Fayetteville State 309; 7. (tie) Indiana (Pa.), Bentley 312; 9. WEST LIBERTY 315; 10. Shepherd 316; 11. (tie) LeMoyne, Concordia 318; 13. Millersville 319; 14. Assumption 323; 15. Southern New Hampshire 324; 16. Dominican 326
West Liberty Individuals
74: Alex Easthom (37-37)
76: Peyton Moore (38-38)
82: Howard Peterson IV (41-41)
83: Derek Graham (40-43)
84: Bo Orecchio (42-42)