EMCC sophomore Steven Eilders finishes tied for 52nd at NJCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship

SCOTTSBORO, Ala. – With four birdies on the day, East Mississippi Community College's Steven Eilders concluded play in this week's NJCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship with a 3-over-par 75 during Friday's final round.  The EMCC sophomore finished the four-day national tournament held at Goose Pond Colony in a six-way tie for 52nd place. 

Eilders was actually at even-par late in Friday's fourth round following birdies on the 14^th and 16^th holes, but the Ridgeland High School product double-bogeyed and bogeyed the final two holes of the competition.  Friday's 75 followed rounds of 73 on Tuesday, an even-par 72 Wednesday and Thursday's 78 to put Eilders at 10-over-par 298 for the week.

In becoming the sixth East Mississippi golfer in the last seven years to have competed in the NJCAA Championship, Eilders totaled 40 pars, 12 birdies, 18 bogeys and just two double bogeys during his 72 holes of competition played during the week on the 7,145-yard, par-72 Lake Course layout.  The two-year EMCC letterman was an NJCAA Region 23 qualifier for the national tournament after earning status on the 2015 MACJC All-State Second Team for first-year head coach Benji Williams' Lions squad.

Firing a 5-under-par 67 during Friday's final round, Connor Klein (66-71-72-67—276) of tournament team champion South Mountain (Ariz.) Community College overtook previous leader Phillip Hickam (66-67-72-75—280) of Mississippi Gulf Coast on the final day to claim individual medalist honors with a four-day composite total of 276.  Hickam and MGCCC teammate Grant Motter (69-67-75-69—280) both finished four shots off the pace at 280.  Brandon Rougeau (73-67-69-72—281) of tournament team runner-up Tyler (Texas) JC finished a close fourth at 281, while Copiah-Lincoln's Jacob Ross (68-72-68-74—282) was among a four-way deadlock for fifth place at 282.

Headlining the 18-team field at 30-under-par, the Cougars of South Mountain (277-276-288-281—1122) cruised to their fifth national team title with a 15-shot victory over the Tyler Apaches (282-284-282-289—1137).  Eight-time reigning NJCAA Region 23 team champion Mississippi Gulf Coast (283-277-300-292—1152) finished third with an even-par team score followed by Darton (Ga.) State College (281-288-297-293—1159) in fourth place.

Also representing the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) among the 119-player field as individual qualifiers for the national tournament, Alex Tull of Northeast Mississippi (68-73-71-73—285) tied for 13^th while Connor Cavin (74-72-76-72—294) and teammate Austin Terrell (74-73-77-81—305) of Meridian Community College finished tied for 38^th and 75^th place, respectively.