FARGO, N.D.--Paced by Dustin Steiner's one-under-par 71, the Fighting Sioux men's golf team is in fourth place after day one of the three-day Erv Kaiser Invitational at the Edgewood Golf Course.
Steiner and the Sioux shot a collective 299 and sit 13 shots behind first-place Wisconsin-Green Bay (286). Host North Dakota State is in second place with a 296 and Manitoba is fourth with a 297.
Steiner, competing in his hometown of Fargo, N.D., will enter tomorrow's second round in fifth place, just three shots behind co-leaders Nathan Wazney of Manitoba and Gavin Fawbush of South Dakota.
A trio of Steiner's teammates - Ryan Opdahl (Jr., Larimore, N.D.), Pat Thomas (Fr., Fargo, N.D.) and Tyler Monda (Brainerd, Minn.) - entered the clubhouse deadlocked in a tie for 19th place after each carded a 76. Monda was particularly effective on the back nine, where he shot a 35, tied with Steiner for the best on the team.
A second UND split squad is in ninth place after shooting a 307, led by a strong round from Brock Buckellew. The freshman from Moorhead, Minn., is tied for eighth place after shooting a two-over 73.
Another Sioux freshman, Matt Wrolstad (Fargo, N.D.), is one shot behind Buckellew with a 74, good for a 12th-place tie.
UND's Randy Gresh (Jr., Britton, S.D.), Mike Slominski (Fr., Grand Forks) and Andrew Markiewicz (Fr., South Milwaukee, Wis.) are tied for 40th, 46th and 51st, respectively.
Saturday's second round starts at 8 a.m. at Village Green Golf Course in Moorhead, Minn. The final round is set for 10:30 a.m. on Sunday at the Fargo Country Club.
