GOLDSBORO, N.C. – After a second-round 68 from freshman Tommy Ethier (Nashua, N.H./Bishop Guertin HS), the Bentley University Falcons will head into Tuesday's final round of The Trojan golf tournament at the Walnut Creek Country Club in sixth place overall and only eight strokes out of third place.

Following a first-round 314 that had the Falcons in eighth place, Bentley improved by 17 strokes over the second 18 to finish the opening day with a 611. South Carolina Beaufort will enter Tuesday's final round with a one-stroke lead over Barton College, 589-590, and Mount Olive, the host team, is third at 603. A total of 11 teams are competing.

Bentley's 297 was the third best second-round score, trailing only South Carolina Beaufort's 589 and Mount Olive's 295.

Ethier, who matched his collegiate career best, bounced back from a first-round 77 to finish the day in a tie for fourth overall with a one-over 145.  The only players in the 64-man field who had a better day are Travis Broome of Barton (68-74-142), Ryan Graybar of Cape Fear CC (74-69-143) and Keith Murphy of South Carolina Beaufort (74-70-144). Ethier's 68 was tied for the best of 125 rounds played.

Bentley's number two man is senior Cal Meyers (Richfield, Wisc./Slinger HS), currently tied for 17th following back-to-back 76's.

Senior Chris Ehl (Reading, Mass./Reading HS) was third among Bentley players, and tied for 33rd overall, following a 79-77-156. Rounding out the list of Falcon competitors were sophomore Robert Falconer (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley HS) and junior Doug Kulikowski (Pittsford, N.Y./ Pittsford Sutherland HS). Falconer is 39th after an 83-76-159 and Kulikowski is right behind him with an 82-78-160.