MCC Golf Qualifies for Region 23 Tournament

Story Courtesy of Northeast Mississippi Community College:

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College claimed its second straight Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) State Golf Championship on Sunday at the 2016 MACJC State Tournament in Corinth, MS.

Mississippi Gulf Coast captured the 2016 Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges State Golf Championship with an even par, two-day 576 while Copiah-Lincoln finished as the state runner-up with a two-day, 588.

The top four schools from the MACJC State Tournament advance to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region XXIII Tournament to be held at Back Acres Country Club in Senatobia on Monday, April 25 and Tuesday, April 26. State champion Mississippi Gulf Coast, state runner-up Copiah-Lincoln, Meridian, East Central, and host Northwest Mississippi will all be in action at Back Acres along with a handful of individuals.

In addition to the top four teams advancing to Region XXIII Tournament along with host Northwest Mississippi, five individuals continued their season based on their yearlong scores and showing at the MACJC State Tournament.

Three individuals, who were some of the top scorers all year and not on a team to advance to the Region XXIII Tournament along with two representatives from the MACJC State Tournament, who had not previously qualified, also advanced to the Region XXIII Tournament.

Northeast's Alex Tull led the way in individual honors as the Northeast sophomore had the top scoring average for an individual not on one of the five teams to advance to the Region XXIII Tournament. Tull carded a 74.50 stroke per round average through the season to qualify for the Region XXIII Tournament along with East Mississippi's Daniel Schroder (75.57) and Hinds' Colby Howard (76.71).

Joining Tull, Schroder and Howard at the Region XXIII Tournament are two representatives from Itawamba Community College – who qualified based on their scores at the MACJC State Golf Tournament. Kirk Reeder's 152 and Jacob Dixon's 153 edged out the competition for the final berths in the Region XXIII Golf Tournament.

All-tournament selections for the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges 2016 State Golf Tournament consisted of Mississippi Gulf Coast's Grant Motter, who shot an 8-under two-day 136, Copiah-Lincoln's Jason Byrd (143), Meridian's Lance Strickland (144) and three golfers, who all shot 145s during the two-day event – Mississippi Gulf Coast's Jonathon Newman, Meridian's Grant Renegar and East Mississippi's Schroder.

All-State selections were also announced at the culmination of the two-day state tournament with Meridian's Lance Strickland leading the way. Strickland was named the Hubert Tucker Player of the Year with a 70.25 per round average. The statewide golf award is named for the former Northeast Mississippi Community College football and golf coach, who passed away in 1995.

Joining Strickland on the first team were Motter with a 70.83 round average, Renegar72.08, Mississippi Gulf Coast's Colin Troxler 72.42, Copiah-Lincoln's Philip Heine 72.45 and East Central's Zack Hammons with a 72.86 average.

Second team All-State honors included Mississippi Gulf Coast's Phillip Hickam 73.25, Northeast's Tull 74.50, Mississippi Gulf Coast's George Kewall 74.67, Meridian's Camden Backel 74.75, and Newman with a 74.86 per round average.