MADISON, Ill. – The University of Tennessee at Martin golf team concluded the first two rounds of its season-opening tournament today, showing improvement over the final 18 holes of the day.
           
After carding a 299 (+15) in the first round of the day, the Skyhawks whittled 14 strokes off that score for a 285 (+1) in Round 2. Overall, UT Martin tallied a 584 (+16) on the day with 18 holes looming during tomorrow’s third and final round of the event held at Gateway National.
           
Cole Isbell made the most of his first collegiate opportunity today as the Skyhawk freshman from Cumming, Ga. shot a 141 (-1) to rank 23^rd in the field. He came away with an even-par 71 this morning – shooting 2-under in his last 12 holes – before finishing up his day with a 70 in the second round, wrapping up his day with back-to-back birdies.
           
Jonathan Xoinis (143, +1) and Luke Caldwell (150, +8) matched Isbell’s 1-under score for the best round by any UT Martin representative today as that duo each carded 70’s in Round 2. Jaden Morrell (152, +10) and Ethan Ray (153, +11) each accounted for a pair of countable rounds today.
           
Following Isbell in Round 1 was Xoinis’ 73 (even par in his final 12 holes) while Morrell (77, two birdies) and Ray (78 including three birdies) completed the team scoring. Caldwell tied Ray and Isbell for the lead amongst scoring lineup members with three birdies in Round 1 before posting an 80.
 
During the afternoon session, Morrell (three birdies) and Ray each recorded 75’s to join the under-par trio Isbell, Xoinis (three birdies) and Caldwell (five birdies – three coming on his last five holes).
           
Also representing the Skyhawks today was redshirt senior Jackson Twerdahl, whose 144 included back-to-back 72’s and a co-team-high eight birdies with Caldwell. The Nolensville, Tenn. native managed four birdies in the opening round (including three in a six-hole span on the front-nine) before tacking on four more red scores in Round 2 – three of which occurred in a six-hole stretch on the back-nine. As a direct result, he fired the best round of any of the nine golfers in the field who are competing as individuals.
           
UT Martin will be matched up alongside fellow Ohio Valley Conference schools Western Illinois and Eastern Illinois on Holes No. 15-17 in Round 3, which will tee off with a shotgun start at 8:15 a.m. Twerdahl will begin his day on Hole No. 18 while being paired up with fellow individuals from SIUE and South Dakota.