Jake Webb T9 following a 71.
The Vikings, ranked sixth in the final Golf Coaches Athletic Association Top 25 Poll, are tied for fourth on 292 with defending national champion and No.1-ranked Nova Southeastern FL. Those two teams are both eight shots behind leader and No.2-ranked Barry FL, which shot even par 284.
Lynn FL is second on 290, six shots off the lead, followed by Cal State Monterey Bay on 291 (Cal State Monterey Bay won the South Central/West Regional by one stroke over the Vikings).
WWU’s Jake Webb is tied for ninth individually after a 71, and Kyle Schrader (So., Olympia/Tumwater), who took medalist honors at regionals, is tied for 15th a shot futher back.
“It was a battle for us, definitely a round that you would call a grind,” said coach Steve Card. “The only guy who played solid all day was Schrader, everyone else had their ups and downs. But it was an important day for us with the time change following a long day of travel, Sunday’s practice round and getting up at 4:30 a.m. our time to play. To go out and play a decent round of golf, I was pretty happy overall with our start.”
Dylan Goodwin shot 74 and is tied for 35th, Evan Needham is tied for 41st after a 75, and Mark Strickland shot 77 to end the day tied for 67th.
“The scoring opportunities are few and far between here," said Card. "We need to play the par 5s better. We probably played them even par today.”
The medalist leader at three-under 68 is Barry’s Adam Svensson. Three players are tied for second, one stroke behind.
It is the second straight NCAA II national appearance for WWU, which placed ninth last year, and its eighth trip overall. The Vikings tied for eighth in 2008, placed ninth in 2004 and in 2005, 11th in 2003, tied for sixth in 2000 and finished 11th in 1999. Goodwin and Webb are the only Vikings that played in Nationals last year.
The top eight teams after 54 holes advance to match-medal play on Thursday with quarterfinals and semifinals, followed by the final round for the national title on Friday.
