ALPHARETTA, Ga. (March 24, 2008) - ETSU senior Cian McNamara (Limerick, Ireland) fired a season best round of 1-under-par 71 to finish tied for fifth on the individual leaderboard, powering the 24^th-ranked ETSU men's golf team to a tie for fourth on the team leaderboard following first round play in the U.S. Collegiate Championship on a windy, cold and snowy Monday at the Golf Club of Georgia.

McNamara overcame the elements to post a 1-over 37 on the front nine and then go 2-under-par on the back nine for his 71. He is currently just two strokes out of the lead, which is held by four players at 3-under 69. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers are just four strokes back of team leader UCLA, which holds a one stroke edge over second place Florida State.

"The course played really difficult today," said ETSU head coach Fred Warren. "The wind blew and it snowed twice, but the guys hung tough. They played well and played smart. We're pleased to be where we are, especially in a field that includes 10 of the Top 11 teams in the country. This is as close to a NCAA caliber course and field as we will see all season."

Warren was especially pleased with his team's play considering the Bucs' struggles in their last event of the spring, the General Jim Hackler Championship.

"We really went to work on some things after coming back from (the Hackler)," Warren said. "And I think that paid off today."

Along with McNamara, the Bucs got an even par score from fellow senior Gareth Shaw (Lisburn, Northern Ireland) to tie for 10^th. Meanwhile, sophomore Seamus Power (Waterford, Ireland) and freshman Rhys Enoch (Cornwall, England) are tied for 30^th and 38^th, respectively.

Fans wishing to stay up-to-date with the Bucs' progress at the U.S. Collegiate Championship can access live scoring at Golfstat.com, or by clicking the link on the main story release located at ETSUBucs.com. As always, ETSUBucs.com will have a full daily recap following second round play Tuesday evening.