ICHOLASVILLE, KY – Eastern Connecticut State University junior Ashton Lewis (Fairfield) has qualified for the final two rounds of the 2023 NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championship by making the cut, shooting a 1-under par 71 on the second day in leading the Warriors to 32^nd place among 43 teams at the Keene Trace Golf Club.
 
The top 18 teams and the first six players not from a qualifying team advance to play the final two rounds Friday and Saturday. In a 27-way tie for 51^st place after shooting a two-over 74 at Champion Trace in Tuesday's first rounds, Lewis had three birdies, 13 pars and two bogies at par-72 Keene Run Wednesday to jump into a 13-way tie for 25^th place with a one-over 36-hole score of 145.
 
Lewis was the third of six players to qualify as individuals from teams that did not qualify on a team basis. No teams from New England qualified, with Lewis and Sean McGarrity of Middlebury College the lone New England qualifiers. After shooting three under Tuesday, McGarrity shot four-over Wednesday and is also tied for 25^th place. Lewis also has the lowest score among players from state institutions.
 
Among New England institutions, Endicott College was 26^th (606), Middlebury tied for 28^th (608), Husson University 31^st (612), followed by Eastern (614), Salem State University 40^th (643) and Saint Joseph College, ME 43^rd (674).
 
Eastern entered the second day in 33^rd place and got standout rounds from three individuals. After shooting six-over on the first day, sophomore Chris Davidson (Southington), playing No. 3, shot even par Wednesday to finish with a share of 87^th place among 221 competitors with a six-over 150, five strokes behind Lewis. Playing No. 5, senior Andrew Gromko (Canterbury) rallied on the second day. Gromko improved by ten strokes his first-day performance, shooting a one-over Wednesday. He finished the tournament with a 12-over par 156, good for a tie for 148^th place.
 
Rounding out Eastern's players were sophomores Matthew Orefice (Niantic) and Cal Angelo (Southington), both of whom shot 12-over Wednesday. Playing No. 2, Orefice had a two-day total of 20-over 164 that landed him in a tie for 198^th place. Angelo was 22-over 166 for a tie for 202^nd place.
 
Beginning play Wednesday on the 13^th tee, Lewis shot two-under over the final six holes of the back nine with three birdies and two pars. He followed with pars on every hole of the front nine and closed it out with two pars and a bogie on 10-11-12.
 
Davidson began the day Wednesday on the 14^th hole and shot two-under over the final five holes of the back nine, starting out with two birdies and closing with three pars. On the final 13 holes, he had two birdies, eight pars, two bogies and a double bogie. Over the final five holes of the front nine, Davidson shot one-under with a birdie and four pars.
 
Gromko started play Wednesday with a triple bogie on the 15^th hole and bogie on the 16^th hole, but settled down quicky. He parred the 17^th and 18^th and shot two-under over the front nine with two birdies and seven pars.