BARRE, Vt. - Emmanuel men's golf is 18 holes away from claiming its first Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship, as they are tied at the top of the leaderboard following Round 1 of the GNAC Championship at Country Club of Barre. The Saints combined to shoot 312 on the day, their second-lowest round of the fall and best round at the GNAC's in program history.

Tied for the individual lead, senior Ryan Brunet shot a 3-over round of 74. The Saints co-captain made three birdies in the opening nine holes, making the turn in 33. He was one of two players who shot under par on one of the nines, on his way to shooting 74.

Saints junior Andrew Lavoie made a team-high 11 pars on the day, shooting a 5-over round of 76, leaving him in a tie for third. The only Saint to break 40 on both sides, Lavoie shot a 37 front and 39 back, to shoot +5.

Sophomore Jack Ouellette recovered from a slow start, shooting a 1-over-par 37 on the back nine, to card a round of 78, placing him in a tie for sixth. Fellow sophomore Jack Fenton also rebounded after a tough opening nine, shooting 40 on the back side, to shoot 84, good for a tie for 16th.

First-year Aiden Boyce was off and running quickly, but a difficult back nine left Boyce out of the counting scores, as he shot a round of 85.

Tied at the top with the Saints are the three-time defending GNAC Champions, the New England College Pilgrims. The Pilgrims counting scores of 76, 77, 79, and 80 equaled the Saints total of 312. Norwich sits just two shots behind at 314. Cadets senior Cooper Bertrand also carded a round of 74 to be tied with Brunet, as the Norwich captain looks to defend his individual championship from 2025.

The GNAC Championship will be decided in Round 2 on Tuesday, Oct. 6, with tee times starting at 9:00 a.m. The leaders will begin their rounds at 10:40 a.m. The winner of the title will claim the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in 2027.