By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
GALENA, Ill. — There was a logjam at the top of the leaderboard after the opening round of the 36-team, 36-hole Midwest Region Classic Friday afternoon — with four sharing the first-round lead, and three more just one shot back.
 
Among those seven players … Saint Mary's University's Cooper Craiger (Des Moines, Iowa).
 
Craiger fired a two-over-par 74 and is sitting tied for fifth, one stroke behind Friday's leaders.
 
Craiger's two-over-par effort — along with a five-over 77 from Bryce Galewski (Winona, Minn.) — helped the Cardinals to a fifth-place showing, sitting 18 strokes back heading into Saturday's final round.
 
Along with Craiger and Galewski, the Cardinals also got an 80 from Joe Abdo (Edina, Minn.), and 84s from both Blair Sanders (Kansas City, Mo.) and Jake Emeott (Chisago City, Minn.).
 
Aurora grabbed the first-day team lead with a 297, three shots in front of Edgewood, while Carthage (304), Loras (311), and UW-Superior (312) rounded out the top five. Saint Mary's and DePauw are tied for sixth with 315s. 
 
Jack Marham of St. Norbert, Aurora's Scott Boyajian and Noah Hogue, and Edgewood's Dawson Hinz all shot opening-round one-over-par 73s to share medalist honors, with Craiger, Ryan Vanderway of Aurora, and Kevin Healy of Carthage all one shot back after shooting 74.
 
The second round of the two-day, 36-hole event is set for Saturday at Eagle Ridge Resort.