EMCC golfers earn second-place team honors in Meridian-hosted tourney at Briarwood

MERIDIAN — The East Mississippi Community College men's golf team shaved a dozen strokes off its opening-round score to post a second-place finish in the MACCC's third tournament of the fall season. The two-day tournament, hosted by Meridian Community College, concluded Tuesday at Briarwood Golf Club.

In their second season under the guidance of head coach Ashton Maddaloni following a three-year hiatus from competition, the Lions carded a second-round score of 313 to finish as team runners-up behind perennial national powerhouse Mississippi Gulf Coast with a collective 638 total for the tournament. EMCC's top four finishers all placed among the top 25 individually with all four shooting 80 or better on Tuesday.

"We're happy with how we grinded it out the best we could under challenging course conditions," Maddaloni said. "I'm very proud of the guys because they were really good off the tee box these two days and had better course management."

Freshman Carter Martin (Canton) led EMCC by tying for eighth place overall after improving five strokes with Tuesday's 4-over-par 76. His two-day total of 157 was a shot better than sophomore teammate Spence Davis (Madison), who fired a pair of 79s to finish in an 11^th-place tie.

Tying for 22^nd place for the Lions, sophomore Matthew Phillips and freshman Chandler Scogin each finished with two-day totals of 162. Phillips, out of Columbus Christian Academy, improved six strokes by shooting a 6-over-par 78 during second-round action. Scogin, from Tuscumbia, Alabama, had consistent rounds of 82 and 80.

"We still feel like we left a lot of strokes out there on the course and that there is definitely room for improvement," Maddaloni continued. "I really feel like we've just scratched the surface of what we're capable of as a team."

Freshman Ben Boggan (Yazoo City) rounded out EMCC's lineup card this week by tying for 47^th place with a total score of 176 (83-93). Competing as individuals for the Lions were freshman Daniel Martin (Parrish, AL) and sophomore Bryce Colbert (Madison), who finished with scores of 174 (85-89) and 179 (90-89) to tie for 44^th and 54^th place, respectively.  

The Bulldogs of Mississippi Gulf Coast earned their third straight team tournament title of the MACCC's 2022 fall season by carding a two-day score of 599 (291-308) on the 6,928-yard, par-72 layout. Host Meridian (327-312—639) placed third one stroke behind EMCC, while Copiah-Lincoln followed in fourth place (326-317—643). East Central (324-321—645) and Pearl River (317-328—645) tied for fifth-place team honors.

Co-Lin's Alex Navarro claimed individual medalist honors with a 2-over-par 146 (72-74) to finish ahead of a quintet of MGCCC golfers led by Will Burnham (74-74—148).

The EMCC Lions are scheduled to return to golf action, Oct. 24-25, at Windance Country Club in Gulfport.