MANSFIELD, Ohio – Each spot in the lineup is equally as important, as The College of Wooster men's golf team demonstrated on Friday in the opening round of the North Coast Athletic Conference Championships, which is being held at the par-72, 6,910-yard Westbrook Country Club. Wooster shot a 330 at the always challenging course and sits in eighth-place.

Sophomore Connor Mitchell, playing in the fifth position, had Wooster's low score on the day at 79, which marked a new collegiate-best. Mitchell, who is tied for 15th-place, caught fire at the turn, logging birdies on the par-4, 442-yard 10th hole, and the par-4, 516-yard 12th hole. Mitchell went on the play the back-nine at 1-over-par, with a three-hole stretch of pars spanning holes 14-16 aiding that outcome.

Sophomore Tyler Hilbert, playing as Wooster's No. 3, was next at 80, and he is tied for 21st-place. Hilbert scored a birded on No. 12 as well, and he was 3-over-par for the back-nine, thanks to four pars.

First-year Noah Jackman's NCAC debut started strong with a birdie on the par-4, 430-yard opening hole, and the rookie was 3-over-par at the turn. He finished at even-par on the par-3 holes for the day, and his 82 is tied for 27th-place.

Senior Ben Foltz rounded out the scoring rounds with an 82. He is tied for 38th-place. First-year Krish Nayak's 90 has him in 41st-place.

Wittenberg University leads the nine-team field at 302, and the Tigers carry a four-stroke lead over Kenyon College into Saturday's second round. The Tigers' JF Aber is the clubhouse leader after a 1-over-par 73.

Wooster will look to charge up the leaderboard on Saturday, as the Scots are within eight strokes of fifth-place. The men's round will start on hole 10 on Saturday.