No. 1 MGCCC leads 6 four-year schools after 18

No. 1 Mississippi Gulf Coast is taking a step up in competition this week at the Folds of Honor Challenge, and the Bulldogs responded well in the opening round in Allendale, Mich.

They finished at 10-over on The Meadows at Grand Valley, 11 shots behind host Grand Valley State, which is ranked 15^th in the Bushnell Golfweek NCAA Division II Coaches Poll. They trail NJCAA Division I powerhouse Odessa by two shots and lead six four-year schools who are receiving votes in their respective coaches' polls.

"We got off to a horrendous start, and the guys responded really well," Gulf Coast coach Brad Thornton said. "We were 8-over the first five holes and shot 10-over, and we dropped a few down the stretch. I'm really happy how they responded. They just have to keep getting reps."

Thornton's all-freshman team was led by Jayden Owensby (Fr., Hernando/Hernando), who is tied for fourth. He's three back of Aurora's Jackson Hulsey, with two Grand Valley State golfers ahead of him on their home course.

Cal Wier (Fr., Hernando/Lewisburg) and Matthew Bond (Fr., Ocean Springs/Ocean Springs) shot 3-over and are tied for 15^th. Paul Hoefer (Fr., Heidelberg, Germany/Kurpfalzgymnasium Mannheim) is another shot back.

Owensby was one of the Bulldogs who struggled on the opening holes, bogeying three of the first five.

"He finished really well on the back nine," Thornton said. "He started out really slow, had a couple three-putts that could have been prevented. He responded on the back nine, shooting 3-under and birdieing the last hole. Top five at any point in this field is a really good accomplishment."

Gulf Coast is two shots ahead of Dallas Baptist, Wayne State and Aurora. The first two are receiving votes in the NCAA Division II poll, with the latter ranked 10^th in Division III. UIndy and Findlay, both receiving votes in the Division II poll, are shots behind Gulf Coast.

"It's exposure for these guys to see what the next level looks like," Thornton said. "They have goals for when they leave Gulf Coast, and the goal for us coming here is to showcase what they can do."

The Bulldogs will tee off in the second round Tuesday morning. Live scoring is available at https://scoreboard.clippd.com/tournaments/239979/scoring/team. The 54-hole tournament wraps up Wednesday.

For more information on MGCCC's 12 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.