Christian first-round leader, Raiders in fifth

Chautauqua, N.Y. - Chad Christian of Central Lakes College opened the NJCAA Division III national golf tournament with a 71 to claim the first-round lead Tuesday at Chautauqua Golf Course.

As a team the Raiders are in fifth place with a 308, six strokes behind first-round leader Louisburg.

CLC's Curt Carlson is tied for 12th with a 75. Alex Osowski landed in a tie for 28th with a 78 and Brad Quast rounded out the team scoring with an 84.

Jesse Helbling added a 91.

Christian opened with a 4-under 32 on the front nine. He shot 39 on the back, which included an 11 to finish at 1-under-par and one stroke ahead of a pack of five other golfers.

"I'm just happy they had an opportunity to go out there and compete," said Raiders coach Jim Russell, who stayed home due to the death of his father. "That says a lot about our school and the administration and their support for the program. For us to continually advance to nationals and be known as a powerhouse is nice."

CLC last won the national title in 2005. Last year the Raiders placed seventh.

Team scores: 1-Louisburg 302, 2t-Nassau 304, 2t-Tompkins Cortland 304, 4-Vincennes University 307, 5-Central Lakes College 308, 6-Jamestown 318, 7-Ocean County 319, 8-Madison Area 320, 9-Holyoke 322, 10t-Montgomery 323, 10t-Broome 323, 12-City College of Morris 327, 13-NE Mississippi 331

First-round leader: Chad Christian (CLC) 32-39 - 71

Central Lakes results: Curt Carlson 75, Alex Osowski 78, Brad Quast 84, Jesse Helbling 91

Next: Second round of the NJCAA national tournament Wednesday at Chautauqua Golf Course in Chautauqua, N.Y.