JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman was one of six teams in the field of 18 to feature five golfers who all shot sub-80 rounds for the opening day of play at the Smokey Mountain Intercollegiate. 

The Eagles are in 11^th with a team 307 – a result on par with a 309, 306 and 301 that C-N shot the last time the Eagles played the River Course at Eagles' Landing in April during the SAC Championships. 

Carson-Newman is just six strokes away from the top five and 21 back of Clayton State, which finished two under par as a team following the opening round.

Jonathan Kim-Moss (Mississauga, Canada) and Dalton Reese (Warrenton, Ga.) both closes with 76s (+4).  Both also recovered from inauspicious starts.

"It was a rough start, but that's not completely unexpected for the game of golf," C-N head coach John Minor said. "But we got shots back, Jonathan turned at plus seven, but finished plus four.  Dalton tripled the first hole, but he finished plus four.  We've got good golfers; we need to take another shot at it."

Reese was one of four golfers in the field of 96 to hit an eagle, while Jonathan Kim-Moss was one of nine golfers to play the par fours at even par or better.

Rafael Jackson (Rutledge, Tenn.) finished with a 77 (+5) after improving a stroke on the back nine.  Nicklaus Kennedy (Ontario, Canada) had a 78 (+6) and Nathan Hodge (Jefferson City, Tenn.) a 79 (+7).

Hodge had the biggest improvement from the back nine to the front nine, following a front nine 44, with a back nine 35. 

The Eagles tee off tomorrow morning for the final day of competition at the Smokey Mountain Intercollegiate. 

-CN-