BOWLING GREEN, Fla. – Butler’s Michael Cascino fired a 6-under par 66, tying for the third best score in BIG EAST Championship history, to help the Bulldogs take a one-stroke lead in the BIG EAST Men’s Golf Championship Presented by JEEP at the Streamsong Blue Course in Bowling Green, Fla.  The Bulldogs posted a team score of 285 (-3).
 
Marquette, led by Hunter Eichhorn’s 4-under 68, is one stroke back in the team standings at 286 (-2).  Villanova is third at 290 (+2).  Eleven golfers overall shot par or better.
 
Cascino had five birdies on holes 8 through 14 and scored an eagle on the par-5 No. 2 hole.  The senior, whose 66 also tied the Butler school record on a par-72 course, was ably supported by junior Raymond Sullivan, who is tied for fourth with a 2-under 70.  His round included six birdies.  Graduate student Logan Sabins is in a three-way tie for eighth at even-par 72.
 
Five birdies on the front nine contributed to Eichhorn’s 68 for Marquette, which also had redshirt sophomore Tyler Leach card a 1-under 71.  His steady round included three birdies.  Eichhorn was the BIG EAST medalist in 2018.
 
Villanova made a splash with a third-place standing.  Wildcat junior Noah Peck sits alone in third place on the leaderboard after a 3-under 69.  He had six birdies.  Senior Rob Banas is in the four-way tie for eighth with an even-par 72.
 
Connecticut is in fourth place, two strokes behind Villanova at 292 (+4).  Freshman Jimmy Paradise was the top Husky with a 1-under 71.  He is tied for sixth with Marquette’s Leach.  Senior Rodrigo Sanchez is in a six-way tie for 12th at 1-over 73.
 
Seton Hall is in fifth place with a 296 (+8) team score.  Senior Andres Acevedo was the Pirate leader with a 2-under 70.  His round included three birdies and one eagle.  Senior Gregor Tait came in at 74 (+2).
 
Xavier is sixth.  The Musketeers placed three golfers among the top 15 – senior Imaad Qureshi carded an even-par 72 to put him in the logjam tie for eighth.  Junior Michael Prebles and sophomore Jack Wertz both shot a 1-over73.  They are in the tie for 12th.
 
Creighton is two strokes behind Xavier at 299 (+11).  Nate Vontz shot even-par 72, which puts the junior in the tie for eighth.  Freshman Charlie Zielinski shot 73. 
 
DePaul placed eighth with a 14-over 302.  Sophomore Artemiy Yalovenko was the top Blue Demon with a 2-over 74. 
 
Georgetown is ninth after the first round.  Graduate student Chris Doody led the Hoyas with a 1-over 73. 
 
The second round of the BIG EAST Championship begins Tuesday at 8 a.m. ET.  The BIG EAST team winner earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.  Should the individual champion not be a member of the championship team, he will also earn a spot in the NCAA Championship field as an individual.
 
Team Scores – First Round
1.    Butler                   285 (-3)
2.    Marquette           286 (-2)
3.    Villanova             290 (+2)
4.    Connecticut        292 (+4)
5.    Seton Hall            296 (+8)
6.    Xavier                   297 (+9)
7.    Creighton            299 (+11)
8.    DePaul                302 (+14)
9.    Georgetown       314 (+26)
 
 
Top Individual Scores – First Round
1.    Michael Cascino, Butler                66 (-6)
2.    Hunter Eichhorn, Marquette         68 (-4)
3.    Noah Peck, Villanova                      69 (-3)
T4.  Raymond Sullivan, Butler               70 (-2)
T4.  Andres Acevedo, Seton Hall          70 (-2)
T6.  Jimmy Paradise, UConn                71 (-1)
T6.  Tyler Leach, Marquette                  71 (-1)
T8.  Imaad Qureshi, Xavier                 72 (E)
T8.  Rob Banas, Villanova                      72 (E)
T8.  Logan Sabins, Butler                       72 (E)
T8.  Nate Vontz, Creighton                   72 (E)