Moving Up

5/4/2010 5:04:44 PM

Zach Cleland

DUNCAN, Okla. (May 4) -- Central Oklahoma wobbled down the stretch once again but still knocked seven strokes off its first-round score and made a big move on the second day of the NCAA Division II Midwest/South Central Regional here Tuesday.

The Bronchos finished with a 302 at the rugged Territory Golf Club that was made even tougher by gusty winds and finished two trips around the par-72 layout with a 611 total. UCO had the second-lowest score of the day and jumped from a tie for 19th to 10th in the 20-team field.

Wayne State of the Midwest Region leads at 594, with host Cameron of the South Central and Central Missouri of the Midwest tied at 600. The champion of each region plus the next three teams regardless of region advance on to the national tournament, with the Bronchos now just five shots out of fifth.

Final-round play begins at 8 a.m. Wednesday, with UCO set to start teeing off at noon.

Click here to follow live scoring of the tournament.

UCO's five players made the turn a combined six-over-par before playing the back-nine at 15-over, losing 12 of those shots on the final three holes. The Bronchos shot 26-over on the back nine in Monday's first round.

Dillon Rust was the only player who didn't struggle on the back nine, firing a one-under 35 to finish off an even-par 72 that was the second-lowest score of the day. Zach Cleland and Andrew Green both shot 76, while Matt Charlson had a 78 and #J.B. Law# an 80.

"We played better on a day when the course played a lot harder, but once again we didn't finish," UCO coach Dax Johnston said. "It's disappointing that we gave away so many shots, especially at the end, but we still made up a lot of ground with the way everybody else struggled. We've got a chance if we come out and play well tomorrow."

Rust overcame a horrible start to record his even-par round and knock seven shots off his first-round score. The redshirt freshman lost a ball on his opening drive and double bogeyed the par-4 first hole, but came back with birdies on Nos. 3 and 6 to get back to even par.

Rust gave a shot back at the par-3 eighth hole in making the turn at one-over 37, but rebounded with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 11 and 12 to get to one-under. He stayed there with five straight pars before bogeying No. 18 for the 72.

Green, who opened the tournament with a one-under 71, was one-under through eight holes before bogeying No. 9 to make the turn at even-par. The sophomore made four bogeys in struggling to a 40 on the back nine, but he's still tied for fourth in the individual standings and only two shots out of the lead.

Cleland birdied the par-5 second hole to get to one-under early and made the turn at one-over 37 before coming back with an up-and-down 39. The lone senior on the team, Cleland had a triple bogey, double bogey and two birdies in the first seven holes on the back nine before finishing with consecutive pars.

Charlson had seven pars, one birdie and one bogey in a front-nine 36 and he was just one-over through 15 holes before finishing bogey, double bogey, double bogey to come in with a 42.

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