WINDSOR, Colo.- Natasza Klimko and Kristjan Burkelca both finished day one in second place individually, leading the way as Rocky Golf opened its final tournament of the fall season at the Battle at The Dance. 

No. 25 Women's Golf Holds Slim Lead After Round One

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A pair of freshmen led the charge for the No. 25-ranked Rocky women on opening day. Natasza Klimko carded a 2-over-par 74 to sit in second place, just one stroke behind the individual leader, while Anna Lende followed in sixth with a 6-over-par 78. Klimko's four birdies tied for the field high on day one, while Lende added three.

Kirsten Smith shot a 12-over-par 84 to place 14th, and Carlee Verdugo rounded out Rocky's team scoring tied for 19th with a 15-over-par 87. Also competing for the Battlin' Bears were Alivia Webinger, who tied for 22nd (+16, 88), and Lilia Troxel, who tied for 27th as an individual (+21, 93).

Rocky posted a team score of 35-over-par 323, holding a narrow one-stroke lead over Frontier Conference foe Bellevue University entering Tuesday's final round.

No. 18 Rocky Men Sit in Third After 36 Holes

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Kristjan Burkelca sits just two strokes off the individual lead after carding back-to-back rounds of 1-under-par 71 to finish day one in second place at 2-under 142. Burkelca's nine birdies tied for the most in the field, while his even-par mark on par 3s led all competitors through two rounds. Braxton McDonald also delivered a top-10 performance, holding sixth place with a 3-over-par 147 (75-72).

Sam Norman enters the final round tied for 14th with an 8-over-par 152 (74-78), while Nathan Piers completed Rocky's team scoring in 18th place with a 10-over-par 154 (77-77). Kellen Meyer, competing individually, tied for 23rd (+13, 157) and Adam Hyde-Lay tied for 31st (+19, 163).

The Battlin' Bears enter Tuesday's third and final round in third place with a 36-hole team score of 19-over-par 595 (297-290). Rocky trails Bellevue University by just one stroke and host school Hastings College by seven.

Up Next

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The Battlin' Bears return to the course Tuesday morning for the final round of the fall season.