EMCC Lions finish fourth in MACJC spring golf opener at Meridian’s Northwood Country Club
The East Mississippi Community College men’s golf team moved up two spots Tuesday to finish in fourth place at the MACJC’s spring-opening tournament held at Northwood Country Club.
MERIDIAN – The East Mississippi Community College men's golf team moved up two spots Tuesday to finish in fourth place at the MACJC's spring-opening tournament held at Northwood Country Club.
Coach Benji Williams' EMCC Lions improved 22 strokes over Monday's opening-round score with a final-round 297 to complete the tournament with a two-day total of 616 – one shot ahead of East Central (318-299—617) and three strokes better than nationally ranked Copiah-Lincoln (309-310—619).
The host Meridian Eagles (298-286—584), ranked sixth nationally in the latest Bushnell Golfweek NJCAA Division II Coaches Poll, claimed team tournament honors with an 11-stroke victory over second-ranked Mississippi Gulf Coast (304-291—595). Northwest Mississippi finished third at 613 (309-304).
Individually for East Mississippi, freshman Joey Partin (77-68—145) earned all-tournament team honors with a fourth-place finish after carding a 3-under-par 68 during Tuesday's final round to climb nine notches. Meridian Community College's Isaiah Jackson (73-67—140) captured the individual title after firing a final-round 67 to finish three shots ahead of runner-up Colin Troxler (72-71—143) of Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Also finishing among the Top 10 for EMCC was freshman Conner Stevens, who finished in a four-way tie for ninth place overall with a pair of 75s.
EMCC sophomores Kent Vaughn (84-76—160) and Michael McGill (83-78—161) tied for 28th and 31st, respectively. Caledonia's Eli Hemphill (86-82—168) rounded out the Lions' scorecard in 46th place, while fellow freshman Cameron Guinn (87-79—166) tied for 42nd place competing as an individual.
The EMCC Lions are scheduled to be back on the links, April 1-2, when they host the MACJC's next spring golf event at Lion Hills in Columbus.