WAIKOLOA, Hawai'i – Hawai'i Pacific University senior Ryan Torres fired a 1-under-par 69 to lead the Sharks to fourth place after the opening round of Hawai'i Hilo's Dennis Rose Intercollegiate at the Waikoloa Beach Golf Course.
 
Torres, from San Jose, Calif./Evergreen Valley, toured the par 70, 6,566-yard Beach course four birdies and three bogeys for his 69, to sit three strokes off the lead. Brian Nielsen of Cal State San Bernadino fired a 4-under 66 for the first round lead, while Joey Geary of Western New Mexico added a 3-under 67 for second and Seung Ho Yoon of Cal State Dominguez Hills was at 2-under 68 for third. Torres is in a three-way tie for fourth.
 
The Sharks posted a first round 4-over 284 as a team to sit fourth four strokes out of the first place tie between Cal State San Bernadino and Western New Mexico at even-par 280. Colorado Christian is third at 2-over 282. Simon Fraser is fifth at 6-over 286.
 
Freshman Luke Shamblin of Matthews, N.C./Metrolina Christian was the second low score for the Sharks, firing an even-par 70 to rest in a seventh place tie. Sophomore Keita Okada of Tokyo, Japan/Bradenton, Fla. IMG Academy tallied a 2-over 72 to be in a tie for 18th, with junior Keli'i Kamelamela-Dudoit of Ho'olehua, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Kapalama recording a 3-over 73 in a tie for 30th, and senior Ray Kim of Aiea, Hawai'i/Moanalua adding a 7-over 77 to round out the team scoring.
 
HPU also played two individuals, with junior Hasee Nazir of Orange, Calif./Orange Lutheran carding an 80 and freshman Tomoro Shimabukuro of Okinawa, Japan/Bradenton, Fla. IMG Academy an 81.
 
The second of three rounds is slated for Tuesday, with a shotgun start at 7:30 a.m. at the Waikoloa Beach Course.