OIT Leads C of I Invitational After Record-Setting Day
NAMPA, Idaho – A monster day by Oregon Tech netted a new Cascade Conference scoring record, as the Owls hold the Day 1 lead at the College of Idaho Invitational at Ridgecrest Golf Club.
Paced by a 7-under-par 65 by co-leader Montana Frame, OIT carded a team score of 272 in the round – 16-under-par – breaking the former mark of 278, set three different times by former member Concordia. Frame became the third CCC player to shoot 65-or-better, joining Jesse Heinly of Concordia (65 during the 2011 season) and Tyler Austin of Concordia (64 during the 2007 season).
Frame is tied with Northwest Nazarene’s Keynan Fanslow atop the leaderboard, as the top Crusader golfer followed a morning 67 with a 3-under 69 in the afternoon round – each carding a 36-hole total of 136. Fanslow helped NNU to a big opening day, sitting just seven strokes (282-283-565) behind the Owls.
A 30-stroke gap separates the top two teams from the rest of the field, though the majority of the teams are bunched in a big logjam. Rocky Mountain sits in third (303-292-595), just ahead of Great Falls (302-297-599), Walla Walla CC (301-299-600), Corban (306-299-605), and host C of I (313-296-609). Northwest Christian (311-302-613) is in a close eighth, followed by Warner Pacific (312-309-621) and Walla Walla (325-329-654).
Eight players broke par after 36 holes – with Houston Knox (73-67-140) of Oregon Tech and Jack Strickland (68-72-140) of NNU tied for third at 4-under; Tyler Swinton (71-70-141) of OIT is along in fifth at 3-under; NNU’s Tyler Swinton (71-70-141) sits at 2-under; with Walla Walla CC’s Luke Malinen (72-71-143) and Josh Whitley (73-70-143) of Tech at 1-under.
Landon Joy (74-71-145) is the top Corban competitor at 1-over; Easton Enott (73-73-146) of Great Falls and Nathan Cachia (75-71-146) of Rocky Mountain sit at 2-over; with Josh Goins (75-75-150) leading Northwest Christian at 6-over-par.
Host C of I got solid days from Cooper Felton (76-75-151) and Reed Maggard (79-72-151), each at 7-over; Reyn Marioka (78-74-152) was the top Warner Pacific finisher; Brendan Collins (75-78-153) led WWU; with Shelby Cox (105-91-196) leading Multnomah.
The final round of the 54-hole tournament will begin tomorrow with a shotgun start at 9 a.m.