BREWSTER, Mass. – University of Southern Maine senior Zach Ellsworth (Saranac Lake, NY/Northwood School) shot one-under par (71) on Saturday at the 2023 New England Intercollegiate Golf Association (NEIGA) Championship to end the first round of the event tied for first place. Ellsworth and Eastern Connecticut State University's Ashton Lewis hold the top two spots on the leaderboard following the first round of competition at The Captains Course in Brewster, Mass.
 
Ellsworth shot par on 13 of the 18 holes in addition to recording birdies on the first, fourth and fifth holes. He finished the first half of the course one-under and made par on every hole in the back nine. After recording a bogey on the sixth hole Ellsworth made par on each of the final 12 holes.
 
Southern Maine finished round one in 16th place with a team score of 333 (+45). Husson University sits atop the leaderboard after the first round with a score of 298 (+10). Bates College ranks second at 306 (+18) and Endicott College and Eastern Connecticut State are tied for third at 308 (+20).
 
Sophomore Sam Farr (Gorham, Maine) had the second-best round for the Huskies and carded a shot an 84 (+12) to tie for 69th. Senior Jett Healy (Stratham, N.H./Exeter) shot an 86 (+14) and is tied for 77th. Junior Owen Doyle (Gardiner, Maine) is in 90th after the first round and is a stroke ahead of teammate junior Colin DeWitt (Newington, Conn.). Doyle fired a 92 (+20) and DeWitt a 93 (+21) with each player recording a birdie.
 
Ellsworth will be looking to maintain his place at the top of the leaderboard tomorrow in the second round. The Huskies will tee off in the first group at 8:30 am.