EMCC golfers finish fourth in MACJC State Championship to earn NJCAA District D tourney invite

East Mississippi Community College secured a team bid to compete in this year’s NJCAA District D Golf Championship after placing fourth at this week’s MACJC State Championship. Hosted by Copiah-Lincoln Community College, the two-day state tournament concluded Monday at Wolf Hollow Golf Club.

EMCC golfers finish fourth in MACJC State Championship to earn NJCAA District D tourney invite
April 10, 2017

WESSON – East Mississippi Community College secured a team bid to compete in this year's NJCAA District D Golf Championship after placing fourth at this week's MACJC State Championship.  Hosted by Copiah-Lincoln Community College, the two-day state tournament concluded Monday at Wolf Hollow Golf Club.     

The upcoming NJCAA District D Championship, hosted by Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, will be held April 24-25 at Grand Bear in Saucier.

Coach Benji Williams' EMCC Lions garnered this year's district tournament invite by carding a two-day total of 609 on the 6,745-yard, par-72 layout.  Sunday's opening-round 304 was followed by Monday's 305.

With an even-par 576 (293-283), Meridian Community College claimed this year's team title with a five-stroke victory over host Co-Lin (293-288--581).  Gulf Coast (296-298--594) finished third, while Itawamba (315-303--618) grabbed the fifth and final team spot for the upcoming district tournament.  Missing the cut were East Central (320-302--622), Northwest Mississippi (313-310--623), Hinds (321-318--639) and Northeast Mississippi (331-318—649).

Individual medalist honors for the tournament went to Meridian's Isaiah Jackson (70-72—142), who defeated Co-Lin's Cole Arseneault (72-70—142) in a playoff.    

Individually for EMCC, freshman Joey Partin again led the Lions with a third-place tie at this week's state tourney after adding a final-round 72 to his opening-day 71 to finish at 1-under-par 143 for the event along with the Meridian tandem of Malachi Spiers (77-66) and Porsche Kitipongpatana (71-72).  From Prairieville, Louisiana, Partin made the MACJC All-State First Team as a result of his 74.14 season scoring average.  During the state tournament, Partin had eight birdies to go along with five bogeys and one double-bogey.

For the Lions, Conner Stevens tied for 21st place with a composite score of 153 (77-76).  Kent Vaughn, of Choctaw County High School, finished 24th at 155 (76-79), while Michael McGill (80-81—161) and Caledonia's Eli Hemphill (84-78—162) tied for 31st and 33rd, respectively, to round out East Mississippi's state tournament scorecard.