East Mississippi men's golf team places fifth in spring season debut for new head coach Benji Williams

Improving 18 strokes between rounds, the East Mississippi Community College men's golf team finished fifth in this week's spring-opening MACJC event. The two-day event concluded Monday at Pine Burr Country Club.

East Mississippi men's golf team places fifth in spring season debut for new head coach Benji Williams
February 10, 2015

WIGGINS – Improving 18 strokes between rounds, the East Mississippi Community College men's golf team finished fifth in this week's spring-opening MACJC event.  The two-day event concluded Monday at Pine Burr Country Club. 

Under the guidance of first-year head coach Benji Williams, the EMCC Lions carded a 303 during Monday's final round after standing in a seventh-place tie following Sunday's 321 team score coming at Grand Bear Golf Course in Saucier.  

Host Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, ranked third nationally by Golfstat and Golfweek, easily out-distanced the 11-team field by 19 strokes with a two-day composite score of 587 (293-294).  Copiah-Lincoln CC finished runner-up at 606 (297-309), followed by Meridian CC (313-297—610) and MGCCC's "B' team (310-311—621).

Individually for EMCC's Lions, sophomore Steven Eilders, of Ridgeland, led the way by finishing in a five-way tie for ninth place with a two-day score of 153 (80-73).  Calhoun City's Hunter Harmon, EMCC's participant in last year's NJCAA Division II Golf Championship, followed in a 22nd-place tie at 156 (82-74). 

Newcomer Daniel Schroder, of Baton Rouge, La., finished in a 29th-place tie (80-78—158) in his collegiate debut for the Lions.  Sophomores Trent Humber (79-80—159), of Caledonia, and Chase Chitwood (84-78—162), from Jessieville, Ark., rounded out EMCC's season-opening scorecard at 31st and 42nd place, respectively. 

Mississippi Gulf Coast's Grant Motter (71-71—142) edged out teammate Conner Entriken (72-71—143) and Copiah-Lincoln's Jacob Ross (68-75—143) by a single stroke to claim individual medalist honors. 

The MACJC's second spring golf tournament, to be held Feb. 28 and March 1, will be jointly hosted by Hinds CC and Copiah-Lincoln CC at Eagle Ridge and Wolf Hollow, respectively.