Seven strokes separates places four through seven after round one of the North Coast Athletic Conference Championship, and The College of Wooster men's golf team is part of that tight pack, sitting seventh after carding a 321 on Friday at the par-72, 6,896-yard Avalon Golf and Country Club's Avalon Lakes course.

Senior Mark Towns and first-year Musa Shariff fired 6-over-par 78s to lead Wooster and both currently sit within the top-10 of the field. Birdies on the par-3, 169-yard fourth hole and the par-4, 343-yard fifth hole had Towns sitting at 1-under-par through five. Towns made the turn at 1-over-par and played holes 11 through 15 at 1-under-par, with the birdie coming on the 372-yard 15th hole. Towns carded 11 pars or better on Friday.

Shariff started strong as well, turning at even-par Friday. The first-year sank back-to-back birdies on the par-5, 547-yard sixth hole and the par-4, 409-yard seventh hole and played seven of his first eight holes at par or better. Shariff went 1-under-par on the par-3 holes, dropping in birdie No. 3 of the championship on the 180-yard 16th hole.

Junior Andrew Carey is tied for 28th after signing for an 81. Carey started strong, dropping in a birdie on the par-4, 400-yard second hole to get to 1-under par, and a second circle on the card had him back in the red following hole seven. He turned at even-par.

First-year Arnav Choudhary is tied for 34th and rounded out the scorers with an 84. Choudhary started strong, sitting at 1-over-par following the first four holes of his NCAC debut. Junior Jake Cammarata shot an 88 and is 40th.

John Carroll University leads the eight-team field at 299, four strokes ahead of DePauw University. Kenyon College is third at 309.

Round two starts at 8 a.m. on Saturday.