Wallace State golf finishes 5th in nation at NJCAA Division I championship
HANCEVILLE, ALA. – Wallace State’s golf team finished fifth in the nation at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I championship, which concluded Friday at the Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Newton, Kansas.
Wallace State, which led the entire leaderboard after the opening round, finished with a 31-over par 1183 over the four-day tournament. The Lions finished 21 shots behind champion Indian Hills (Iowa) Community College, which won its second national title in a row. McLennan (Texas) CC and Eastern Florida State finished tied for second, both three shots behind Indian Hills.
Wallace State, the national runner-up last season for the third time in program history, was making its 20th NJCAA national tournament appearance under coach Dan York.
The Lions opened the tournament Tuesday with a 1-over 289, which was solid enough to grab an early lead. They followed it with a 308 on Wednesday and a team-best 3-under 285 on Thursday. Wallace State closed the tournament Friday with a 13-over 301.
Freshman Sylas Elliott finished as the low medalist for Wallace State and tied for 10th in the nation. The freshman from Cullman carded a 3-over 291 over the four rounds. Elliott’s best round was Thursday when he shot a 3-under 69.
Fellow freshman Eli Marty finished tied for 18th with a 7-over 295, shooting a 74-74-73-74.
Will McDowell, Walker Gordon and Cooper Brown also competed in Kansas for the Lions. McDowell’s best round was an even-par 72 on Thursday. Gordon also shined on Thursday, shooting a 1-under 71 for his best round. Brown, last season’s individual NJCAA Division I national champion, opened the tournament on Tuesday with a 2-under 70.
The Lions had a banner 2015 by finishing fifth in the nation and winning the program’s 12th ACCC/Region 22 title. Elliott and Brown were each named to the NJCAA All-Region 22 team. Wallace State also finished fourth in the NJCAA District IV tournament.
For more information about Wallace State athletics, visit wallacestate.edu.
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Russell Moore
Staff Writer
Wallace State Community College
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