MCC Golf Set To Continue Tradition

The Meridian Community College golf team continued their winning ways last season as they once again finished the season with a top ten (6th) National Championship finish and had one of their freshman named NJCAA All American.

The Eagles, who are the only Division I golf program in NJCAA Region 23, will start the 2009 fall season by playing in the Wallace State Fall Invitational in Cullman, AL on Sept. 14-15. Then the Eagles will host the Jim Redgate Fall Invitational at Briarwood Country Club on Sept. 28-29.

The Eagles then have a week to prepare for the NJCAA Division I National Championship Preview on Oct. 12-13. The Preview will be held at the popular Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Huntsville, AL.

MCC will round out the fall portion of the schedule at 7th Annual Hilton Garden Inn Invitational hosted by Mississippi Gulf Coast. The tournament will be contested at Windance Country Club on Oct. 19-20.

“This will be our second season at the DI level and now we know we can compete for a national title,” said Covich.

“Being the only DI Juco team in Mississippi and Louisiana comes with a great deal of responsibility to represent this State well and to continue the winning MCC golf tradition at a higher level.”

The Eagles will be led this year by returning All American Garrett Westbrook (Baton Rouge, LA).

“Garrett matured a lot over his freshman season with us last year,” said Covich.

“This summer it showed, as he won the Baton Rouge Open and the Louisiana State Four-Ball Championships.”

Two other sophomores who started in the NJCAA National Championship for MCC last year will return, Nick Hawkes (Essex, England) and Cory Williamson (Collins, MS). Tanner Sparks (Belmont, MS), who finished runner-up medalist at the Mississippi College Fall Invitational last season, will round out the sophomore class.

The rest of the team will include Mississippi prep standouts Bo Reed of Tupelo High School and JT Soley of West Jones High School. Out of state players, Brandt Garon of Baton Rouge, LA and Adam Monsen, San Antonio, TX will join international players Clemens Dvorak (Vienna, Austria) and Oscar Mariscal (Santa Cruz, Bolivia) .

“Both of our international freshman players are ranked No. 1 in their respective counties,” added Covich.

“They were really impressed by our tradition here and the support of the community for MCC golf.”