BELLINGHAM, Mass., October 7, 2006 – Andrew Wright of Springfield College fired a first-round 78 to help lead the Pride to an eighth-place finish after round one of the ECAC Division III Championships at the New England Country Club in Bellingham, Massachusetts. There are 18 teams competing.

After the first round and first day of competition, Springfield found itself in eighth with a score of 325. Trinity College of Connecticut was in first all alone with a score of 316. Right behind was Castleton State (317), followed by Salem State and UMass Dartmouth (both at 318), Nichols and Western New England (both at 320), Babson (321), Springfield (325), Brandeis (332), Johnson & Wales (343), MCLA (345), Elms (346), Suffolk and Worcester State (361), MIT (362), Wentworth (370), Becker (394), and Emerson (435).

Day two of the tourney will take place tomorrow, October 8th, once again at the 6,463-yard, par-71 layout.

Wright, a senior from Hampden, Mass., led all Pride golfers with a 78. Wright recently shot a 68 at the prestigious Taconic Golf Club in Williamstown, Mass. The 68 was one off the course record originally set just over 50 years ago. In the ECAC tourney, his first-round 78 was good for an eight-place tie among individuals. The individual leader was Babson’s Travis Dewire, who shot a 71.

Also playing for Springfield were Bryan Chiravolo (tie for 17th with an 80), Greg Levings (tie for 21st with an 81), Michael LaJoie (tie for 42nd with an 86), and Matt McCarthy (tie for 63rd with an 86). The top four scores count towards team play.

published: 10/07/2006