Jared Nelson had a collegiate debut he won't soon forget. The Siena Golf freshman tied for the lowest two-round score in program history to seize the clubhouse lead through 36 of 54 holes at the season opening Cornell Invitational.
 
Nelson fired a pair of identical rounds of 67 to claim the individual overall lead by two strokes over Temple's John Barrone. Nelson's two-round score of 134 tied Siena legend Bryan Bigley's program record-setting mark at St. Bonaventure's Keenan Invitational Sept. 24-25, 2006.
 
Nelson either birdied (10) or parred (24) 34 of 36 holes in tying Dan Abbondandolo for the third lowest rounds in program history. Abbondandolo also carded a 67 at the First Round of this same event on Sept. 27, 2008. Bigley holds the lowest individual round in program history, with a 64 at the First Round of the aforementioned Keenan Invitational.
 
As a team, Siena currently stands in 10^th place out of 15 teams in a crowded field. The Saints shot rounds of 295 and 289 to stand just 11 strokes back of second place Saint Joseph's, and 19 shots ahead of fellow MAAC team Canisius. Yale ran away with the clubhouse lead, which sits at 19 strokes over the Hawks entering the final 18 holes Sunday.
 
Jack Bellardini (77-72) and freshman Brad Whitaker (74-75) complimented Nelson's performance with two-round scores of 149. Bellardini paces the Saints with a team-high 25 pars through the first two rounds.
 
Nelson and the Saints will begin play from the 10^th tee with Columbia and Colgate just after 9 a.m. Sunday for the Final Round of action at Robert Trent Jones Golf Course.