They were 6-under after the first day last year and had a six-stroke lead. They won the title by 18 shots.
“I wouldn’t say we had our best stuff today, but we definitely fought really hard,” fourth-year coach Conner Lash said. “That front nine can be tough. It was windy, and we kind of got punched in the face. But we bounced back.”
Shane Ochs, a junior from Carroll, led the way with a 2-under 70 and is tied for second.
Timmy Hollenback (74) is tied for eighth, while Adam Horn (75) is tied for 10th and Brock Rumpke (76) tied for 15th. The Raiders didn’t have use the opening round of defending individual champ Andrew Flynn (77).
“We were hitting it really good across the board. We just didn’t make any putts and had some big numbers,” Lash said.
“They’re striking it well. They’re confident. Not really having our best stuff and being in a good spot, I think, is a real positive.”
Ochs trails IU Indy’s Titus Boswell by one shot. The Raiders have had the last three medalists in the tourney.
“He’s a guy we know can do it. This is the first year he’s gone out and put two good nines together,” Lash said.
“He’s hitting it really, really well right now, and if he could have bought a few more putts, he’d be even better. It’s always good to have somebody out there to offset some of the (team’s) bogeys.”
The Raiders have won three of the last five HL tourneys and are trying to become the first back-to-back winner since Cleveland State won five in a row from 2014-18.
Lash expects to have to battle the elements the next two days with more wind in the forecast.
“That’s kind of what you get on this course. Luckily, we’ve been playing in it all year,” he said.
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