EMCC - Athletics: Sports, News, Players, and Coaches. Go Lions! - EMCC golf team places seventh at MACJC State Championship

RAYMOND – The East Mississippi men’s golf team concluded its spring campaign with a seventh-place finish at this week’s MACJC State Championship played at Eagle Ridge Golf Club.

Head coach Dale Peay’s EMCC Lions carded team scores of 305 and 315 on Monday and Tuesday, respectively, to finish the two-day event just four strokes out of fourth place. Two-time defending NJCAA Region 23 champion Mississippi Gulf Coast (289-298—587) claimed the team title with a 2-stroke victory over Northeast Mississippi (289-300—589). Copiah-Lincoln placed third with a 596 total (301-295).

Northeast’s Blake Hatfield (68-73—141) earned individual medalist honors for the Hinds-hosted tournament with a 1-stroke win over Alex Rowland of Itawamba (70-72—142).

For East Mississippi, freshman Jackson Bryant garnered a spot in the upcoming NJCAA Region 23 Championship by finishing in a three-way tie for 12^th place in the state tournament with a two-day score of 150 (76-74). A former standout at Natchez’s Trinity Episcopal Day School, Bryant ranked second on the EMCC squad with his 76.1 stroke average during the fall campaign.

Though missing the regional cut after carding a two-round score of 156 (79-77) this week, EMCC sophomore Michael Lauseng was named MACJC All-State First Team after completing the 2010 regular season ranked second in the state with his 74.63 stroke average. The Bossier City, La., native trailed ICC’s Rowland (74.38) by one-quarter of a stroke in just missing out on claiming the prestigious Hubert Tucker Award, which earns an automatic exemption into next month’s NJCAA Championship in Arizona.

Fellow EMCC sophomore Will Black, of Calhoun City, tied Lauseng for 25^th place (76-80—156) in this week’s MACJC State Championship, while sophomore Trey Adams (76-84—160) of Belmont and freshman Ian McAdams (77-91—168) of Madison Central rounded out East Mississippi’s scorecard.

Hinds Community College and Eagle Ridge Golf Club will also host the upcoming NJCAA Region 23 Men’s Golf Championship, slated for April 25-26 in Raymond.