PENN STATE ALTOONA GOLF IN 28TH PLACE AFTER DAY ONE AT DIII CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Penn State Altoona men’s golf team embarked on its seventh-ever NCAA postseason appearance on Tuesday, when the Lions competed in day one of the Division III Championships at Boulder Creek Golf Club.

Competing in warm and sunny conditions, the Lions shot one of their stronger rounds this season, scoring 300 as a team on the par 72 Boulder Creek course. The 12-over par team score put Penn State Altoona in a tie for 28th place out of 43 teams by day’s end.

The Lions’ 300 is the team’s lowest score ever in an NCAA postseason round, besting the previous record, 304, which was set May 14, 2009, in that season’s NCAA Division III Championships at PGA Village in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Methodist University held down the top spot on the team leaderboard Tuesday with a score of 271, with Emory University following close behind with 272. The University of Redlands was in third place with 275.

Jack DiTrani had Penn State Altoona’s low round, shooting 1-over par, 73, to finish the day in a tie for 62nd place out of 221 individuals. Andrew Bruce shot 3-over, 75, to put himself in a tie for 105th place.

Jack Ankeny and Peter Nusbaum produced matching scores of 76 to tie for 121st place individually. Trey Heffelfinger carded an 82 to tie for 199th place.

Penn State Altoona continues play in the NCAA Championships tomorrow, Wednesday, May 15, for round two, when play for the Lions will shift to The Legacy Golf Club in Henderson, Nev. Tee times for Penn State Altoona are scheduled to begin at 8:35 a.m. local time.

After Wednesday’s round, the field of teams will be cut down to 18, with those squads moving on in the tournament. Penn State Altoona will hope to be among the top 18 teams by the conclusion of round two, which would help the Lions make the cut for the first time in program history.