EMCC Lions finish in middle of the pack during MACJC fall golf opener at Wolf Hollow

WESSON – The Lions of East Mississippi Community College placed fifth with a two-day score of 613 in the season's first MACJC fall golf tournament held this past weekend at Wolf Hollow.    

Following a 308 during Saturday's opening round, Coach Benji Williams' EMCC Lions carded a final-round 305 to finish seven strokes behind fourth-place Northwest Mississippi (308-298—606).  Perennial state powerhouse Mississippi Gulf Coast (274-295—569) claimed a 10-stroke team victory over host Copiah-Lincoln (292-287—579).  Meridian Community College placed third with a composite score of 589 (293-296).

Gulf Coast's Logan Leary (66-74—140) made his opening-round, 6-under-par 66 hold up by edging teammates Jackson Wedgeworth (70-71—141) and Colin Troxler (68-74—142) to garner individual medalist honors.  

Individually, EMCC was led by freshman Joey Partin, of Prairieville, La., who fired a pair of 2-over-par 74s to finish in a six-way tie for 13^th place.  Sophomore Kent Vaughn, out of Choctaw County High School, improved four strokes from Saturday to Sunday to tie for 24^th place at 152 (78-74).

Lion freshmen Conner Stevens (Cullman, AL) and Eli Hemphill (Caledonia) placed 31^st (76-80—156) and 35^th (80-78—158), respectively, in their conference debut.  Michael McGill, out of St. Patrick Catholic High School, shot 80 both days to finish in a 38^th-place tie, while fellow sophomore Trae Reeves, of Vancleave, improved 11 strokes during the weekend to tie for 46^th place at 165 (88-77).

Freshman Cameron Guinn, a Stone High School product, rounded out EMCC's scorecard with a 15-stroke improvement from Saturday by shooting a final-round 77 on Sunday to finish 51^st.   

The EMCC Lions will participate in the MACJC's second fall golf tournament next Sunday and Monday (Sept. 25-26) at North Creek in Southaven.  The two-day tournament will be hosted by Northwest Mississippi Community College.