MCC’s Ivy inks with Southern Wesleyan University golf team

Quitman, MS native and Meridian Community College sophomore golfer Joshua Ivy signed a national letter of intent to play golf for Southern Wesleyan University in South Carolina on Monday afternoon. Southern Wesleyan is a member of the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Division I.

"We are especially blessed that the Lord led Josh to join the SWU family. Josh is not only an accomplished golfer and student but also a young man of high spiritual and personal character. His accomplishments as a member of the MCC golf team are well known. We are confident he will meet and exceed those accomplishments at SWU,” said SWU Golf Coach Brad Bradshaw.

“What I found most impressive is Josh's decision to chose a student body where he can comfortably and naturally live, talk and walk his faith in Christ," Coach Bradshaw added.

"Josh is one more strategic component to help lead us to national ranking and an invitation to the '09 National Championship."

As a junior golfer, Ivy was a standout on the Mississippi Junior Golf Tour. He won over 20 junior tour events and earned a spot on the MJGA Cup Team five times. But his bigger honors came in his first junior college season at Meridian, where he led his team to the 2007 MACJC state/Region 23 title and third place finish in the NJCAA national championship.

Under MCC head golf coach Sean Covich, Ivy has continued to grow his golfing resume, winning the 2006 MCC/Rush Fall Invitational his freshman season shooting 2-under par for the 36-hole event (74-68). During the fall semester of his sophomore season Ivy posted two rounds of even-par or better at the NW Shoals Fall Invitational (71-70). Over his MCC career, Ivy has posted 18 tournament rounds of 75 or below.

“Josh is an outstanding young man who does everything the right way on and off the golf course,” said Covich.

“I am just so proud that he’s getting an opportunity to play at the next level. I have been blessed to coach him. When people think of MCC golf I want them to think of players like Josh- he is exactly what a true MCC student-athlete should be- respectful, polite, hardworking, dedicated, and he achieves in the classroom, on the course, and as a leader. He will certainly be successful at whatever he does in life.”

Ivy is the 17th MCC golfer the past decade to sign a golf scholarship with a four year university. As a member of the MCC golf team, Ivy has been chosen as the team captain for two consecutive seasons. He is also a member of the MCC Golf All Academic Team and was given the 2007 MCC Golf Sportsmanship Award.