STRATFORD, P.E.I. - It was a challenging day at the Fox Meadow Golf & Country Club in Stratford, P.E.I. as the competitors battled windy conditions throughout Wednesday's opening round of the PING CCAA National Golf Championships.

The Georgian College Grizzlies for the women and the Humber College Hawks/Cégep André-Laurendeau Boomerangs men's squads grabbed the early tournament leads on Wednesday with strong play.

The Grizzlies women counted scores of 76 from Emilie Tyndall and a 77 from Addison Wallwin to give them the combined total of 153 and a three-shot lead over the Champlain St. Lawrence Lions.

Sady Beelik of the Grizzlies shot an 84 and was her team's third score on Wednesday; the women's teams count their best two scores out of their team of three each day while the men's division count their best four of five.

Rounding out the top five entering day two is the Medicine Hat College Rattlers (157), the Humber Hawks (161) and University of Fraser Valley Cascades (162).

On the men's side the Humber Hawks and Cégep André-Laurendeau Boomerang fired an opening round of 290 to take a two-stroke lead over the University of Fraser Valley Cascades with the Niagara College Knights trailing by three shots.

Conner Watt (68), Christian McCullough (73), Michael Vance (74) and Cameron Brennan (75) led the Hawks on Day 1 with Luke McLean's 80 being the team's fifth score.

The Boomerang relied on Marc-Olivier Plasse (71, T5), Marc-Antoine Hotte (72, T9), Felix Normand (73, T14), Brendan Smith (74, T22) and Victor Grondin (81, 63rd) on the day.

The Niagara College Knights (293) and Camosun College Chargers (296) round out the top five.

Individually for the women Becky Martin of the Medicine Hat Rattlers led the way with a 74 as she holds a two-stroke lead over Tyndall (Georgian) and Noémie Oullette (Champlain St. Lawrence); a pair of 77's by Hannah Dirksen (Fraser Valley) and Wallwin (Georgian) round out the top five.

For the men the field is led by Josiah Dixon of the Niagara College Knights after firing a blistering opening round of 67. On his heels are Watt (68, Humber), Connor O'Dell (70, Fraser Valley) and James Casorso (70, UBC Okanagan).

A logjam in fifth place features four players tied at one-under par. Matt Matheson (Camosun), Matt Lemay (Georgian), Antoine Roy (Champlain St. Lawrence) and Marc-Olivier Plasse (Champlain St. Lawrence) all fired 71 on the day.

Locally the host Holland Hurricanes posted a men's team score of 290 and sit in a tie for sixth place. Tyson Gavin led the way with an even par-70 followed by Peter Frenette (74, T22), Connor Shea (75, T29), Spencer Compton (77, T42) and Bradley Jenkins (77, T42).

The females from Holland College sit in seventh place after a day of 173 led by Karleigh McEwen posting an 80 (T9). Jaylene Holmes-Tang (93, T25) and Daria Leidenius (95, 27th) struggled to open the tournament.

With lots of rain in the forecast for Friday the competitors know the importance of Thursday's second round.

Play will begin at 8:30 a.m. AST with live coverage starting shortly before presented by Bell Aliant TV1; the live broadcast can be accessed by visiting www.ccaa.ca.

To see the complete leaderboard check out the following links (Men/Women).

Source: Holland College/CCAA Communications