HERSHEY, Pa. – Senior Zach Layser (Myerstown, Pa./ELCO) shot an opening-round 80 to sit in a tie for sixth place after the first round of the MAC Commonwealth Championship at Hershey Country Club's par-71, 6,838-yard East Course on Saturday, April 23.
 
The round is the best for a Warrior at the tournament since joining the conference in 2008. Ryan Nelson shot a 76 in the first round of the MAC Freedom Championship in 2007 en route to a ninth-place finish, the last time that a Warrior earned all-conference honors.
 
Layser fired a 39 on the back nine before finishing the round with a 41 on the front nint to sit in a three-way tie for sixth place, five strokes behind the tournament leader, Stevenson's Luke McKeogh.
 
The Warriors, as a team, shot a 379 during the first round of the tournament, as they are in ninth place. Stevenson holds a 20-stroke advantage on the field after shooting a first round 312.
 
Freshman Alec Sabatino (Pompton Lakes, N.J./Pompton Lakes) fired a 95, freshman Doug Urban (West Chester, Pa./Bayard Rustin) shot a 96, senior Jacob McClain (Cogan Station, Pa./Jersey Shore Area) shot a 108 and junior Conor Chopey (Westfield, N.J./Westfield) finished with a 124.
 
The Warriors will begin to tee off at 8 a.m. in the second round of the MAC Championships on Sunday, April 23, at Hershey Country Club's East Course.