BREWSTER, Mass. – Although he was competing in the event for the first time, Eastern Connecticut State University's Ashton Lewis (Fairfield) was disappointed when he finished in a tie for 11^th place -- ten strokes over par – as a sophomore a year ago at the New England Intercollegiate Golf Association (NEIGA) Division III Championship at The Captains Golf Course.
 
Saturday, after the first 18 holes of the 36-hole event, Lewis leads the field of 115 golfers with a 3-under 69 -- on the same Captains course -- that has sparked Eastern to fifth place (the Warriors were seventh last year) with a +14 score of  302. As a team, defending champion Babson College led the 23-team field with a 2-under score of 286, with Amherst College (+7), Endicott College (+8) and Middlebury College (+9) separated by only three strokes. Amherst and Middlebury did not compete a year ago, while Endicott was fifth overall.
 
Undefeated this year and a two-time Little East Conference Championship medalist, Lewis carries a one-stroke lead over University of Hartford graduate transfer Jared Winiarz and sophomore John Baldwin of Babson into Sunday's final 18 holes. As a freshman, Baldwin shared 11^th place with Lewis a
 
Helping the Warriors to their current fifth-place position are junior Jonah Dupuis (Hampton), sophomores Cal Angelo (Southington) and Chris Davidson (New Milford), and senior Andrew Gromko (Canterbury). Dupuis shares 21^st place  (+3 / 75), Angelo is tied for 35^th (+4 / 76), Davidson shares 74^th place (+10 / 82) and Gromsko is tied for 81^st (+11/83).

The Warriors tee off beginning at 10 a.m. Sunday.