Hutchinson CC Sports Information

WICHITA FALLS, Texas – An 18-stroke turnaround on Monday has the Hutchinson Community College men's golf team in contention at the Midwestern State Invitational at the Wichita Falls Country Club.

The Blue Dragons started very slowly on Monday morning under tough scoring conditions and posted a season-worst round of 297 (+13). Hutchinson was ninth after the opening round.

Scoring conditions improved greatly for the afternoon round – the top six teams in the field improved by an average of 10.2 strokes per team. Led by freshman Ben Partridge, the Blue Dragons shot 281 (-3) and jumped six spots to third place after two rounds.

The Blue Dragons go into Tuesday's final round – an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start – at 578 (+10), trailing tournament leader Texas A&M-Commerce by seven strokes. TAM-C shot 571 through 36 holes. Tournament host Midwestern State is second at 576. After third-place Blue Dragons, UT-Tyler and West Texas A&M are tied for fourth at 582.

Partridge led Hutchinson in the first round with a 1-over 72. The Blue Dragons also counted 3-over 74s from Trey McCrae and Harry Crockett and a 6-over 77 from freshman Cameron Rios-Ceballos.

Things changed dramatically for the better in the second round as the Blue Dragons jumped from ninth to a tie for third after just six holes and briefly owned the tournament lead before falling to third by the end of the day.

Partridge had two eagles, four birdies and three bogies in his round of 5-under 66, which tied for the low round of the tournament. Hutchinson also counted even-par 71s by McCrae and Harry Crockett and a 2-over 73 by sophomore Charlie Crockett.

Partridge is the low Blue Dragon scorer through 36 holes at 4-under (138).

McCrae and Harry Crockett are tied for 12th at 3-over 145. Charlie Crockett is tied for 41st at 151. Rios-Ceballos, who shot a 79 in the second round, is 60th 156.

Freshman Charlie Hilton, playing as an individual player, is tied for 53rd at 154 after rounds of 78 and 76.

The Blue Dragons will be paired with Texas A&M-Commerce and Midwestern State in Tuesday's final round.