MCC Golf prepares for NJCAA national championship

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. –The Meridian Community College golf team will tee off at the NJCAA National Championship for the 12th time in the school’s history on Tuesday, May 19. However, this will be the program’s first ever appearance at the Division I level. The Eagle competed at the Division II level in the years before 2009. This years NJCAA Division I Men’s Golf National Championship will be played at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail-Hampton Cove Golf Course in Huntsville, Ala.

“All the RTJ golf courses are spectacular and challenging, this one is no different,” said MCC head coach, Sean Covich.

“The defining characteristics of this course would have to be the length at nearly 7,500 yards long and the elevated greens that are extremely undulating. We’re not used to bent grass greens with this much break, but the good thing for us is that in the fall we played a 54-hole event on this course so that experience should help a little.”

The Eagle lineup will include team stroke average leader, freshman Garrett Westbrook, who is the only MCC golfer to start in all 11 events this season. He has the lowest scoring average on the team, which includes 13 rounds of 76 or lower this season and two rounds of even-par or lower. He led the team in birdies made (59) and has the most All Tournament team honors (3) on the team this season.

Sophomore Clay Bounds of Meridian will add some much needed experience to this young team. Bounds shot a 5-under-par 66 at the Spring Fling College Classic in March and tied the lowest ever score by a MCC golfer. In fact, Bounds has posted two of the lowest scores in MCC golf history with a 67 in his first round as a freshman back in 2007 and his recent 66 at the Spring Fling.

Sophomore Jarrod Moulds of Meridian enters the Championship having notched four career All Tournament Team honors. Moulds best event came this spring where he finished ninth out of 130 golfers in the Spring Fling College Classic.

Freshman Cory Williamson enters the Championship having participated in 10 events for MCC, posting 11 rounds of 76 or below which included two rounds of 72 or lower, and three times this season he was the best MCC individual score.

Freshman Nick Hawkes participated in nine events for MCC this season, posting a season low 1-under par (71) at the NJCAA National Preview played at the RTJ-Hampton Cove course.

“We started this journey back in August-really before that if you consider recruiting this guys back in high school,” said Covich.

“It is special to have Clay and Jarrod, two of Meridian’s own junior golfers, representing MCC in an opportunity to bring a National Championship to their hometown.”

MCC enters the field as the only Mississippi school to advance to the NJCAA Division I National Championship. The Eagles are currently ranked as the No. 12 team in the nation according to NJCAA.com.

“This is the reason kids want to play for MCC, the chance for a national title,” said Covich.

“Four out of the last five years, MCC golf has competed for a national title, we’ve had a few top five’s including two third place finishes but those were all at the Division II level so its hard to know what to expect this season at the highest level.”

MCC participated in the NJCAA Division I National Preview on the RTJ-Hampton Cove Golf Course back in October of 2008, but featured a different line-up than the one playing this week. The Eagles finished tenth in that event out of 20 teams.