HEBRON, Conn. — The University of Hartford holds a three-stroke team lead, while Wentworth Institute of Technology’s Garrett Kendall tops the individual standings following Saturday’s opening round of the 2026 Conference of New England (CNE) Men’s Golf Championship. Hosting the two-day, 36-hole championship at Blackledge Country Club’s Gilead Highlands course, Hartford posted a 293 (+5) to lead the nine-team field heading into Sunday’s final round.

Roger Williams University sits second at 296 (+8), followed by Western New England University at 298 (+10). Wentworth is fourth at 302 (+14), with Endicott College at 304 (+16) and Gordon College at 305 (+17). Suffolk University (317), the University of New England (333) and Nichols College (342) round out the team standings.

Kendall fired a five-under-par 67 on the 6,537-yard, par-72 layout to build a two-stroke advantage over Roger Williams’ Reid Ohanesian, who carded a 69 (-3). Hartford teammates Justin Crossen and Luke Olynick followed with rounds of 70 (-2) and 71 (-1), respectively, helping the Hawks claim the team lead. Western New England’s Aidan Devaney stands fifth after an even-par 72, while Suffolk’s Mike Gallagher, Endicott’s Myles O’Quinn and Western New England’s Kyle DeGroff are tied for sixth at 73 (+1).

The championship concludes Sunday, October 4, with final-round tee times beginning at 11 a.m. Pairings have been reordered based on Saturday’s results, with golfers from the top three teams—Hartford, Roger Williams and Western New England—occupying the final five groups. Crossen, Ohanesian and Devaney will tee off together in the final group at 1:06 p.m. as the field competes for the CNE team championship and individual medalist honors.

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE OF NEW ENGLAND

Originally founded in 1984 as the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), and reconstituted as the Conference of New England (CNE) in 2024, the CNE is an NCAA Division III athletic conference composed of 11 full member and nine associate member institutions throughout the New England region. Its membership aims to provide student-athletes with a positive experience in their pursuit of excellence through high academic standards, quality competition and a meaningful student life. The Conference administers championships in 21 intercollegiate sports.