SELLERSBURG, Ind. – Nick LaMotte sits in second place individually, and the Coyotes sit in fourth as a team after the first round of the 2024 Summit League Men's Golf Championship.  South Dakota had its second-best team round in program history with a 9-under par 279. 
 
LaMotte, a senior, is tied for second in the competition after a 5-under par round of 67 in round one.  The Minnesota native was consistently stellar all day, posting six birdies and just a single bogey.  He will enter round two just one stroke off the lead. 
 
Logan Hamak joined LaMotte in the top ten with a score of 3-under par 69.  That is good for a tie for seventh place after round one.  The junior modeled LaMotte's consistency with four birdies and just one bogey on the round. 
 
Max Schmidtke, who already has one top ten finish in the Summit League Championship under his belt, was one stroke behind Hamak with a 2-under par 70.  That sees him tied for 13^th place after day one.  Schmidtke matched Hamak's four birdies but had two bogeys. 
 
Freshman Cole Witherow and senior Ryan Neff rounded out the scoring for USD on the day.  Both posted 1-over par scores of 73.  Witherow posted three birdies on the day, while Neff had three birdies and an eagle on the par-5 14^th hole.  The duo finished round one tied for 27^th place. 
 
South Dakota's team score of 279 was 9-under par, and the second lowest team round in program history.  South Dakota sits in fourth place, and closer to first place than fifth.  USD is just six strokes off the lead.  As the fourth-place team, the Coyotes will tee off between 8:50 and 9:30am tomorrow, local time.  That is 7:50 and 8:30am in Vermillion.
 
Defending champion Kansas City leads a tight team race.  SDSU's Ty Kretz leads the individual race by one stroke over LaMotte, Oral Roberts' Presten Richardson and Kansas City's Mesa Falleur.    
 
Fans can follow tomorrow's action here, and on Twitter/X @SDCoyotesMGolf.