EMCC's Steven Eilders finishes fourth at NJCAA Region 23 Golf Championship to qualify for nationals
East Mississippi Community College sophomore Steven Eilders qualified for next month's NJCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship by claiming a fourth-place individual finish Monday at the NJCAA Region 23 Championship held at Laurel Country Club.
LAUREL – East Mississippi Community College sophomore Steven Eilders qualified for next month's NJCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship by claiming a fourth-place individual finish Monday at the NJCAA Region 23 Championship held at Laurel Country Club.
Eilders, a Ridgeland product, climbed eight places during Monday's final round by firing a 1-over-par 73 to record the lowest round of the day and collect all-region honors. His two-day total of 151 stood two strokes behind co-runners-up Connor Cavin of Meridian (74-75—149) and Mississippi Gulf Coast's George Kawell (70-79—149). MGCCC's Grant Motter, this year's Hubert Tucker Award recipient as the MACJC's stroke average leader, garnered individual medalist honors for the fifth time this spring with his composite score of 145 (71-74).
On the team leaderboard, the Bulldogs of Mississippi Gulf Coast posted a 12-stroke victory (599-611) over runner-up Meridian Community College to earn their eighth consecutive regional golf team championship. East Mississippi finished in third place (620) followed by Copiah-Lincoln (632) and host Jones County (722).
Fellow EMCC sophomore Hunter Harmon, an NJCAA Championship participant a year ago and an MACJC second-team all-state recipient this season, completed the 6,699-yard, par-72 layout in a three-way tie for fifth place (74-78—152) with Meridian's Austin Terrell (74-78—152) and Phillip Hickam (75-77—152) of Gulf Coast.
Improving eight strokes and climbing nine notches from Sunday's opening round with a 2-over-par 74 Monday, EMCC freshman Daniel Schroder placed 13th with a composite score of 156. Chase Chitwood (78-83—161) and Trent Humber (84-89—173) rounded out the regional scorecard for first-year head coach Benji Williams' EMCC Lions by finishing 19th and 26th, respectively.
Eilders, an MACJC second-team all-state selection this year, becomes the sixth East Mississippi golfer to qualify for nationals since 2009. Joining him as national individual qualifiers next month will be Cavin and Terrell from Meridian along with Copiah-Lincoln's Jacob Ross and Alex Tull of Northeast Mississippi.
This year's NJCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship will be held May 17-19 at Goose Pond Colony Golf Course in Scottsboro, Ala.