MCC To Sign Trio Of Golfers

from combined reports
The Meridian Star
June 13, 2006

Newly named Meridian Community College golf coach Sean Covich will sign part of his inaugural recruiting class this afternoon in the Damon Fitness Center on the MCC campus.

Michael Burton and Ryan Hill of West Lauderdale High School will join Curt Sparks of Belmont High School as part of Covich’s inaugural recruiting class.

Covich, who assisted the MCC golf team to a third-place finish in the NJCAA National Championship, is excited about signing his first group of players.

“Two of these guys are local kids which really makes me proud because having them sign with our team continues to show that Meridian junior golf is one of the premier programs in this state,” Covich said. “Michael Burton and Ryan Hill played high school golf for West Lauderdale and are two outstanding young men that will certainly add a lot to our team. They will bring an excellent work ethic to our program.

“Curt is an accomplished player who brings a lot of tournament experience to the team,” Covich said. “He comes from a wonderful family which has a lot of great golfers in it.”

Burton was medalist in the 2005 Clarkdale High School Invitational and in 2006 he tied for first in both the Southeast High School Invitational and the Lauderdale County High School Tournament.

Hill won the 2006 Newton County High School Invitational.

Sparks has won three junior tour events in his career and was named to the 2005 Mississippi Junior Cup Team. Sparks also guided his high school golf team to back-to-back state championships in 2005-2006.

Burton, Hill and Sparks will join Quitman junior golfer Joshua Ivy in the fall. Retiring MCC coach Lou Hart signed Ivy in January.