(May 14, 2008)--The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's golf team improved by nine strokes and two spots in the team standings after the second round of the NCAA Division III National Championships Wednesday afternoon in Georgia. The Cru fired a 302 today to push their two-day total to 311-302=613. UMHB is tied with University of La Verne (291-322=613) for seventh place. St. John Fisher has the overall team leader halfway through the tournament after carding a 302-294=596. Oglethorpe University is in second place with a 306-296=602, University of Redlands shot 304-300=604 and is in third place, St. John's University is in fourth place after shooting 314-291=605, Methodist University holds down fifth place after posting a 311-298=609 and Skidmore University is in sixth place, two shots ahead of UMHB and La Verne with a 301-310=611. Wesley College is in ninth place with a 311-304=615 and Huntingdon College rounds out the top 10 with a 305-311=616. The 35-team field was cut to the top 23 teams and top five individuals following today's second round. UMHB played the par-71, 7,030-yard Chateau Course at Chateau Elan Golf Course in Braselton, Georgia today. The final two rounds of the tournament will also be played on that course.

Casey Wharton has the low individual score of the tournament for the Cru after posting a 74-74-148. Wharton is tied for ninth place individually with two other players. Davis Dewald (78-78) and Ryan Eastman (81-75) are tied for 56th place after both players posted 156's for the Cru. Eric White is tied for 76th place with an 84-75=159 and Garrison Nordt is tied for 97th place with a 78-83=161. St. John Fisher's Scott Harris, Jr. has the overall individual lead with a 68-71=139 total.

"We are excited and I thought the kids really competed hard today," Cru head coach Randy Mann said. "We started a little slowly, but they did what they've been doing all season and just really kept competing and playing hard. They turned things around on the back nine and put us in a good position to go out and compete for a National Championship over the next two days."

The remaining teams will now close out the tournament with rounds on Thursday and Friday. The Cru will begin teeing off in Thursday's third round at 6:30 AM Central Time.