Griffin Hansberry and Lucas Smith each shot even-par, 70, in Thursday's first round of the 2026 NCAA Division II Atlantic/East Region Golf Championships at Johnstown's Sunnehanna Country Club to sit in a seven-way tied for sixth-place and help Pitt-Johnstown stand in a three-way tie for third-place.
 
Gannon's Rasmus Seppanen and Bentley's Jack Kantowski share the opening day lead at -3 (67), one stroke better than Francis Lanuza's (Adelphi) 2-under, 68.
 
The Golden Knights, at +5 as a team, hold a two-shot lead over Winston Salem State (+7), and a four-stroke lead over Pitt-Johnstown, Wheeling, and Adelphi entering Friday's second round in the field of 20 teams and four individuals.
 
Along with Hansberry and Smith, Pitt-Johnstown's Eli Ropietski stands in a 12-way tie for 30^th at 3-over par (73), and David Razinskas and Mauricio Hernandez are knotted for 63^rd-place at +6 (76) with nine other golfers.
 
The top three teams and the top two individual golfers not with an advancing team will earn berths in the 2026 NCAA Division II National Championships, May 18–22, at the Boulder Creek Golf Club in Boulder City, Nevada
 
Round two of the NCAA Atlantic/East Region Championships is set for Friday, with the final round set for Saturday.  Starting tee times are scheduled for 7:30 a.m. both days.