Final Results

WIGGINS – Only six shots out of first place after the opening round of the MACJC Championship at Pine Burr, Northwest carded a two-day 615 to finish fifth in a Top 5 that was separated by only nine strokes.

With the fifth place finish, Northwest has qualified for the NJCAA Region 23 Championship May 3-4 at Wolf Hollow Golf Club in Wesson. It will be the Rangers' fifth consecutive appearance at Regionals.

"We started out really good after the first day and were in good position," volunteer assistant Guy Purdy said. "But on the backside on Day 2, I don't know if it was pressure, the nerves or what, but we ended up finishing fifth overall but still qualified for Regionals." 

Meridian shot a 606 to edge Gulf Coast (607) by one stroke for the championship while Co-Lin (609), East Mississippi (611) and Northwest rounded out the Top 5.

Freshman Riley Baggett, who was named to the All-Tournament Team, led the way for the Rangers, firing a 77-72 (+5) to finish in a tie for fourth, his best collegiate performance to date. Hayes Carr (78-75) and Martin Powell (75-78) both finished in a tie for 12th while Trey Wilkinson (85-79) and Alan Larson (81-84) finished in ties for 35th and 38th, respectively. 

"When you're playing four freshmen and a sophomore, things happen," Purdy said. "Sometimes they put a little more pressure on themselves than they need to. I told them after the tournament to relax and that we have another shot at it next week. If we stay focused and come out ready to play, we'll have a chance to move on to Nationals as a team. If not, hopefully a couple of individuals will qualify."