EMCC Lions post second straight seventh-place men’s golf finish of fall season

MERIDIAN – The East Mississippi Community College men's golf team posted its second seventh-place finish of the young MACCC season earlier this week at the Meridian CC-hosted Jim Redgate Invitational played at Briarwood Golf Club.

The Lions made a seven-shot improvement with Tuesday's second-round 306 to finish just six strokes behind sixth-place Northeast Mississippi. Mississippi Gulf Coast (292-289—581) claimed the team title over co-runners-up East Central (295-299—594) and host Meridian (293-301—594) in the 11-team tournament field.

Individually, sophomore Trace Carpenter (Kosciusko, MS/Winona Christian School) paced the Lions with a two-day score of 149 (73-76) to tie for 12^th place.

"I'm proud of Trace for the work he's put in," said EMCC head golf coach Ashton Maddaloni. "His game is really coming together, and he played very solid this tournament."

Reigning All-MACCC second-team selection Lorenzo Ligabue, from Italy, improved three strokes and eight places with a second-round 75 to finish in a 19^th-place tie for the Lions.

Spain's Pelayo Castillo and fellow EMCC freshman Bryce Shivers (Prentiss, MS/Prentiss Christian School) also bettered their opening-round results to tie for 39^th place with 160 totals. Shivers moved up 14 places and improved eight strokes with a 76 on Tuesday, while Castillo improved four shots and five positions with a final-round 78.    

Sophomore Brian Ludden (Hernando, MS/Hernando HS) fired consistent rounds of 80 and 81 to place 45^th to round out the Lions' team scorecard.

Competing as an individual, EMCC freshman Lawson Burton (Fulton, MS/Itawamba Agricultural HS) finished in a tie for 32^nd place after carding a 2-over par 74 and standing 12^th following the opening round.

The EMCC Lions are slated to continue their men's golf conference schedule at the Hinds CC-hosted MACCC event, Oct. 21-22, at Castlewoods Country Club in Brandon.