HUTCHINSON, Kan. -- Senior Zach Wanken (Galesburg, Ill./Galesburg) is 14th overall and junior Coby Thompson (East Galesburg, Ill./Knoxville) is 15th in the individual standings as the duo helped the Bradley men's golf team finish the first day of play at the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Championship tied for eighth. The Braves carded rounds of 330 in both rounds Monday and are tied with Creighton for eighth at 660 at the par-70 Prairie Dunes Country Club.
Wanken opened tournament play with a first-round 82, but turned in the lowest second-round score for the Braves with an eight-over par 78 to finish the day in 14th place at 160. Thompson was Bradley's leader after 18 holes, carding an opening-round 78 and fired an 83 to finish Monday's action one shot behind Wanken at 161 in 15th place.
Senior Zach Zobrist (Morton, Ill./Peoria Christian) is tied with freshman Corey Verseman (Galesburg, Ill./Galesburg) for 37th at 171. Zobrist shot a first-round 83 and carded an 88 in the afternoon, while Verseman followed an 88 in the morning with an 83 in the second round. Junior Nate Perry (Normal, Ill./Normal West) is 42nd in the standings at 173 after scores of 87 and 86 on the first day of play to round out the individual scoring for BU.
Defending team champion and pre-championship favorite Wichita State holds a one-shot lead with a team score of 624. Southern Illinois is one shot back in second at 625 and Illinois State ended the day in third place at 641. Drake is fourth in the standings at 646, while Evansville rounds out the top five at 648.
Missouri State is two shots behind the Purple Aces in sixth place (650) and the Bears own an eight-shot advantage on seventh place Northern Iowa (658). Bradley and Creighton shot identical 330's in the first and second rounds and head into Tuesday's final round tied for eighth at 660.
The Braves close out play at the 2010 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Men's Golf Championship with one round of play beginning at 8 a.m. Live scoring for Tuesday's final round is available at www.golfstat.com