COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Junior Jack Kennedy fired an even par 72 to lead the Drake University men's golf team in the opening round of the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational on Friday in Colorado Springs, Colo.
 
"We struggled on our first nine today which was the back nine, but we bounced back and played better on our second nine," said Drake head coach Matt Lewis. "I know the guys were excited to get started and probably even a little nervous. I felt like once we settled in we started playing our game and made some birdies. Jack played great today except for two holes."
 
Kennedy recorded a birdie on his final hole of the day and is tied for 24th-place.
 
Drake's final three scorers are separated by two strokes. Junior Tommi Avant shot a two-over par 74, while senior Drew Ison and freshman Tim Lim, who made is collegiate debut, recorded a 75 and 76, respectively. Senior Matt Lavery rounded the Bulldogs' day with a 79.
 
Through 18 holes, Drake is in 16th-place with a score of 297, and is 10 strokes back from sixth-place Northern Colorado (287). Colorado State leads the 19-team field with a score of 282.
 
"Overall, we felt like we made too many mistakes. We worked on some things after the round and feel ready for tomorrow," said Lewis.
 
The Bulldogs will play the second round of the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational on Saturday.