HAMPDEN, MA – Rick van der Nat (Noordwijk, The Netherlands/Visser 't Hooft) is tied atop the leaderboard with a one-under 71 and the Rider University men's golf team sits seventh of 14 teams following the first round at the UConn Invitational at GreatHorse Sunday. As a team, the Broncs shot 309 (+21).

Jack Urban (Upper St. Clair, PA/Upper St. Clair) was the Broncs' next-best finisher, shooting 77 (+5), three strokes better than Louie Giovacchini (Windermere, FL/Windermere), who shot 80 (+8). Zander Gibson's (Concord, OH/Notre Dame Cathedral Latin) nine-over 81 also counted, while Connor Bekefi (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North) also competed with an 83 (+11).

QUOTES & NOTES
"Conditions were brutal and the course played really hard. We played a solid front nine and gave a bunch away on our back nine."

"Tough to describe how good Rick's round was. Just solid golf all around." – Rider Head Coach Jason Barry

- The Broncs are one of three MAAC programs playing in the tournament, joining Siena (318, +30, T10^th) and Iona (319, +31, 13^th).
- St. John's (301, +13) leads the team field, three strokes ahead of UConn (304, +16) and four strokes better than Rhode Island, Seton Hall and Lafayette, all of whom shot 305 to round out the top five. LIU (307, +19) also sits just ahead of the Broncs in sixth.
- van der Nat is tied with Rhode Island's Brandon Gillis atop the individual leaderboard.  

UP NEXT
The Broncs return to action Monday for the second of three rounds at the UConn Invitational at GreatHorse. Play commences at 8:30 a.m.