LAS CRUCES, N.M. – University of Colorado Colorado Springs sophomore Colin Prater shot a 1-under 70 to lead the No. 20 Mountain Lions in the second round of the 2016 NCAA Division II West / South Central Region Championships today at the New Mexico State University Golf Course. UCCS matched its team score from the first round with a 9-over 293 and is tied for seventh with one round left on Wednesday.

The Mountain Lions are tied with Dallas Baptist, and the two teams are one stroke behind sixth-place California State-East Bay. Sonoma State is two strokes ahead of UCCS in fifth. The top five teams after the final round tomorrow will advance to the NCAA Division II National Championships May 17-21 at Green Valley Ranch in Denver. 

Prater made two birdies today in his 16th round of the season at or below par. He is tied for seventh with an even tournament score of 142 and is three strokes off of medalist honors. Prater is in position for his eighth top-10 tournament finish in 11 tournaments as a sophomore.

Chris Reina improved his score from yesterday by seven strokes with a 1-over 72 today for the second team score for the Mountain Lions. He recorded birdies on holes 12 and 15 and was 2-under through his first 15 holes of the round. Zach Tripp matched his round from yesterday with a 4-over 75 and Kyle Southard finished the team score with a 5-over 76. Zach Berhost's 77 was the dropped score for the team in today's round.

The Mountain Lions will be paired with Dallas Baptist and ninth-place Dixie State in the third and final round on Wednesday. The teams will begin on hole 10 at 12:50 p.m., and will be among the six teams in the final start time in the regional championships.