Ceresko leads Nittany Lion Invitational after day one

As the sun set on day one of the Nittany Lion Invitational, Penn State junior Ellen Ceresko capped off her bogey-free round with a tap on 18 to finish the day at three-under-par and in sole possession of first place.

Ceresko had a career day, breaking 70 for the first time in her collegiate career with her first round 69. She led the way for her fellow Lady Lions as the team jumped out to a four-stroke lead Friday evening.

The Lions finished the day with two golfers in the top five, four in the top 15, and six in the top 20.

“It just shows how deep this team is,” coach Denise St. Pierre said. “One thing that makes this team so good is that we're not just being carried by one player, or two players. I've got six players on my starting team that can all get the job done.”

The team, four over par through round one, looks to continue it’s success as it heads into second round action on Saturday with a four stroke lead on second place Old Dominion and an eleven stroke lead on third place Harvard.

St. Pierre understands the importance of an early lead but knows the dangers of one as well.

“You gotta be careful,” St. Pierre said. “We’re not trying to think about how far ahead we are, because that’s when you get into trouble. It's certainly nice, but we're just going to go out tomorrow, and play our game."

As the second round looms, the Lions have the comfort of playing their only home match this year to fall back on.

“It’s so familiar and so nice to play a course that the girls feel they've played a million times,” St. Pierre said. “It's always great to be at home, because we don't get to do it very often, so it makes it even more special."

Second round action kicks off Saturday morning with first tee at 8 a.m. on Penn State Golf Courses Blue Course. Follow along at golfstatresults.com.