No. 8 Eagles look to keep adding to tradition

National tourney begins Tuesday at Hampton Cove

By Dennis Watson/Special to The Star
The Meridian Star

MERIDIAN —     When one thinks about a winning tradition, it is basically based on success at a given level for an extended amount of time, and winning traditions reflect a team's legacy.

    MCC's golf teams are annually superlative, and the tradition speaks for itself. But what makes this year's — as well as last year's — Eagles so special is the way they have been able to remarkaly maintain that winning tradition despite a jump into the ranks of NJCAA Division I.

    Coach Sean Covich and the Eagles are currently ranked eighth in the latest poll and are gearing up to compete in the national championships. This is only their second year at the D1 level and being ranked eighth is impressive, but MCC will battle with the best teams in the nation in a four-day event beginning Tuesday.

    The Eagles will try and tackle Hampton Cove, a Robert Trent Jones Trail golf course in Huntsville, Ala. The course is one that the team is quite familiar with.

    "We have played there four times over the past two years, so not only am I confident in our guy's experience in big tournaments, but also in our experience at this particular course," said Covich. "I am definitely optimistic about this opportunity, considering our success last year and the fact that this year's team is, on average, 10 shots better than last year's."

    Last year, the event was held at the same course and the Eagles, who were ranked 12th at the time, came home with a sixth-place finish.

    Triumph for the Eagles lies solely on the shoulders of the top five golfers from this year's squad. Sophmore All-American Garrett Westbrook is the team captain and finished 11th overall at last year's national championships.

    "Lately our team has been performing solid, and, individually, I have been working hard," Westbrook said. "I am looking forward to this opportunity." 

    Freshman Brandt Garon has been the bright spot for the team this year. He has set or tied six MCC golf records over the course of this season, most notably the lowest scoring average at 72.6.

    "I feel like we have been getting better the last couple of tournaments, and I am definately excited about this opportunity," said Garon.

    The Eagles' opportunity is a national title to bolster their tradition and further cement their legacy.