The Binghamton golf team exploded out of the gates at the Drew Upton Classic this weekend with a stunning first round performance, but still failed to come away with a victory.

At the Great Hope Golf Course in Crisfield, Md., the Bearcats shot an astounding three-under-par 285 in the first round, but their second round score of 303 was not enough to overcome the strong field at hand. Binghamton placed ninth out of 22 teams, while Richmond won the tournament with impressive scores of 283-293.

“It was quite a log jam,” said head coach Nick Lasky of the tight competition. Only seven shots separated ninth from second place.

Although the Bearcats placed ninth, they beat division rivals such as Army and Yale.

“Overall the tourney was a success,” said Junior Jeff Wolniewicz, who shot 77-77. “We made a huge impact the first day, and that gives us a lot of confidence.”

Senior Kevin Crawford helped lead the way by shooting a two-under-par 70 in the first round.

“I hit the ball solid,” Crawford said. “All of the pieces of the puzzle are coming together.”

Wolniewicz wasn’t as satisfied with his results.

“I’m disappointed with the way I played,” Wolniewicz said. “I couldn’t get into a groove, and I let my team down.”

Sophomore Zach Vinal shot an encouraging 72 in the first round, but missed several short putts on his way to a second round 78. But Vinal, like the rest of his team, remained positive.

“Our first day was a sign of good things to come,” Vinal said.

Junior Aaron Ungvarsky shot notable rounds of 71-74 despite struggling with his ball striking.

“I hit a lot of good tee balls, but I failed to take advantage of my opportunities,” Ungvarsky said.

Although they did not prevail this week, the success is resonating through the Bearcats. Binghamton is standing strong in its conference and can improve its chances of receiving an NCAA bid next weekend at the Yale Invitational.

“There are a lot of positive signs,” Lasky said. “We are going to carry it through into the Yale Invitational next week.”