Youthful East Mississippi golf team places third at Hinds-hosted MACJC event held at Eagle Ridge

The East Mississippi Community College men's golf team put together consistent rounds of 309 and 312 to grab third-place team honors at the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges' second spring tournament held Saturday and Sunday at Eagle Ridge Golf Course.

Youthful East Mississippi golf team places third at Hinds-hosted MACJC event held at Eagle Ridge
February 23, 2014

RAYMOND – The East Mississippi Community College men's golf team put together consistent rounds of 309 and 312 to grab third-place team honors at the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges' second spring tournament held Saturday and Sunday at Eagle Ridge Golf Course. 

Coach Dale Peay's freshman-laden EMCC Lions actually held down the second-place spot following Saturday's opening-round 309.  Perennial golf powerhouse Meridian Community College shot five strokes better than EMCC on Sunday to take team runner-up honors by two strokes.  However, the six-time reigning NJCAA Region 23 champions of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College ran away from the 10-team field by carding a two-day total of 593 (298-295) for an impressive, 26-stroke advantage over the MCC Eagles.

Jones County Junior College (311-314) and East Central CC (317-308) tied for fourth place in the team standings of the Hinds-hosted tournament with two-round scores of 625.       

Individual medalist honors went to MGCCC's Hayes Weathersby, whose 4-under-par 140 (71-69) was six strokes better than runner-up Sawyer Williams of East Central (73-73—146).

Hunter Harmon, a former Calhoun Academy standout, and Caledonia's Trent Humber paced East Mississippi with two-day totals of 154 after posting first-round scores of 75 and 76, respectively.  Fellow frosh W.D. Newlin, of Bruce High School, gave the Lions three golfers within the top-19 individual leaders with a 156 total (77-79).

Fellow EMCC rookie teammates Steven Eilders (83-76—159), of Ridgeland, and Arkansas native Chase Chitwood (81-79) both improved their scores from Saturday's opening round to finish in ties for 27th and 31st place, respectively.  Sophomore John Pittman, from Olive Branch, totaled 164 (79-85) competing as an individual during the two-day event to place 43rd.

The MACJC's third golf tournament of the 2014 spring campaign, set to be hosted by Meridian CC, is slated for March 3-4 at Northwood Country Club.