BOULDER CREEK, Nev. – As he did a year ago at Nicholosville, KY, Eastern Connecticut State University All-America Ashton Lewis (Fairfield) played his best golf on the second day of the NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championship, shooting under 3-under par Wednesday at Legacy Golf Club, and because of that, he survived the cut after two days to advance to the final two rounds beginning Thursday.
 
Lewis is one of six individuals not affiliated with one of the 18 team qualifiers to advance and will tee off Thursday at 12:30 p.m. ET. Lewis shot 2-under 142 over 36 holes over the first two days of the tournament (Tues-Wed.) He ranks in a tie for 14^th overall. Among New England players, Lewis is one of three players to advance and is joined by Husson University's Jack King and Chris Kauppila.

Lewis, last fall's New England Intercollegiate Golf Association (NEIGA) medalist and a three-time Little East Conference Player-of-the-Year, shot a 3-under 69 over 18 holes
Wednesday.
 
Junior Matthew Orefice (Niantic) and sophomore Jake Napolitan (Agawam, MA) followed Lewis, both finishing 14-over 158, while junior co-captain Chris Davidson (New Milford) was 24-over 168 and sophomore Nick DiNino (Glastonbury) 28-over 172. Playing No. 3, Orefice shot 5-over on the first day and 9-over Wednesday; playing No. 5, Napolitan shot 9-over Tuesday and rallied to shoot 5-over Wednesday; playing No. 2 Davidson shot 12-over on each day, while DiNino, playing No. 4, following a standout 5-over showing Tuesday by shooting 23-over on Wednesday.
 
A year ago at Keene Trace Golf Club, Lewis fired a 1-under 71 on the second day after shooting 2-over 74 after 18 holes on the first day. This year, Lewis followed Tuesday's 1-over 73 by shooting 1-under 35 playing the back nine first and 2-under 34 on the front nine for a 3-under total of 69. Lewis was ranked 62^nd among 221 golfers after Tuesday's first round.
 
The top 18 teams plus the next six golfers not on qualifying teams after play Wednesday make the cut to play the final two rounds on Thursday and Friday. Last year, Lewis advanced after ranking third among those six qualifying golfers.
 
On Wednesday, he had four birdies, 13 pars and one bogie. He birdied the 323 yard par-4 13^th hole, the 495 yard par-5 17^th hole, the 405 yard par-4 first hole and the 162 yard par-3 sixth hole. After recording his lone bogie on the 589 yard par-5 14^th hole, Lewis closed out the back nine with his birdies on 17 and three pars.
 
As a team, Eastern shot 308 Tuesday and 311 on Wednesday for a two-day total of 619.