Easton Key Signs With Arkansas State

From School Reports

Meridian Community College golf standout Easton Key signed his letter of intent on Monday afternoon to continue his golf career with Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, AK. Key led the Eagles during the 2011 fall season to three tournament championships and a number one team ranking.

“We are very excited for him (Key) to get this opportunity to play at the next level,” said MCC head coach Clinton Hales. “He has performed so well in his time here at MCC and he was one of the biggest reasons for our success during the fall season. He is a very special player and we know he will have the same success at the next level of his golf career that he had at MCC.”

Key is the seventh ranked junior college player in the nation on GolfStat.com’s Top 100 NJCAA Player Watch List. Over his two-year career at Meridian, Key has been named to nine all-tournament teams and recorded three sub-70 rounds with a best of 65 at the 2010 Wallace State Invitational.  

He currently holds the team’s best average at 73 strokes per round and is a team captain.

He has led Meridian, ranked as the No. 1 NJCAA team in the nation by GolfStat.com and the NJCAA, to three tournament victories and two runner-up finishes, this fall.

“Easton is one of the top junior college players in the country,” said Arkansas State coach Steve Johnson. “He’s proven to be a very consistent player, being able to shoot sub-par rounds on a variety of courses. We are definitely looking forward to adding his tournament experience to what will be a relatively young roster next year.”

Key was named to three All-Tournament Teams during the 2011 fall season and led the team with a scoring average of 71.4, and tied an MCC record with a 65 during the second round of the Wallace State Fall Invitational. Key has been named to six career All-Tournament Teams and has helped MCC to a 166-24-1 record during his carrer.

Key attended Lamar School in Meridian, helping lead the Raiders to five consecutive state championships. He was a two-time all-state selection, carried the lowest average on the team and won the Raider Award as a senior. He also lettered in cross country for the Raiders.