COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. – Behind a pair of strong front nine performances from Aidan Thomas and Scott Rescigno, the NM State men's golf team finished the opening round with a team score of 300 (+12) to sit in 13th place of the 21-team Gene Miranda Falcon Invite hosted by the Air Force Academy at the Eisenhower Blue Course.
 
The Aggies started strong Friday, using a pair of under-par rounds from the aforementioned Rescigno and Garrison Smith to make the turn at -1 as a team.
 
The final nine started strong for the Aggies as Thomas, Smith and Rescigno combined to play the opening four holes of the back nine at -4 under par.
 
The final five holes of the round proved to be difficult for the Aggies, as the squad shot a combined +17 on holes 14-18.
 
Thomas and Rescigno currently sit tied for 33rd overall, while Smith finds himself in a tie for 46th overall.
 
In total, just three of the 21-teams in the event sit below par after the first round. UC Davis fired a combined team score of 279 (-9) and will take a four-shot lead into the second round of the 54-hole tournament.  UC Davis is followed by San Jose State (-5) and Denver (-2).
 
Jackson Solem used six birdies from holes 4-10 to fire a bogey free round of 66. His score of -6, is one shot better than TJ Shehee of Northern Colorado who used six front-nine birdies (seven overall) to fire a 67 (-5).
 
AGGIE LINEUP

1) Aidan Thomas         74        +2        T-33
2) Garrison Smith        75        +3        T-46
3) Scott Rescigno       74        +2        T-33
4) Alvaro Morales       77        +5        T-63
5) Cooper Sears          78        +6        T-76

TEAM SCORES:
1) UC Davis: 279 (-9) • 2) San Jose State 283 (-5) •  3) Denver 286 (-2) • 4) Wyoming 289 +1 5) Nevada 290 (+2) • T6) Northern Colorado 291 (+3) • T6) UTEP 291 (+3) T8)  Utah Valley 294 (+6) • T8) UNLV 294 (+6) • 10) Colorado 297 (+9) 11) CSU-Northridge 298 (+10) • 12) Weber State 299 (+11) • 13) NM STATE 300 (+12) • 14) George Washington 303 (+15) • 15) Northern Iowa 303 (+15) • 16) SIU Edwardsville 304 (+16) • 17) Southern Illinois 306 (+18)• 18) Utah State  307 (+19) • 19) Army 309  (+21) • 20) Air Force 312 (+24) • 21) Southern Utah 318 (+30)     

UP NEXT:
The Aggies return to Eisenhower Blue Course tomorrow for round two of the Eisenhower Golf Course. Cooper Sears will kick things off for NM State, teeing off at 8:30 a.m.