DECATUR, ALA. – Wallace State golf coach Dan York felt his team was poised to turn the corner after finishing runner-up earlier this month in the NJCAA District IV championships.

York was right on the money. Wallace State's golf team captured its first Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC)/Region 22 championship since 2008, finishing 6-under par after 54 holes at Point Mallard Golf Course in Decatur.

Despite all the inclement weather in the area, Wallace State was able to squeeze in 36 holes on Monday and the final 18 on Tuesday morning.

Wallace State performed at an impressive pace during Monday's opening 18 holes, using that to propel the Lions to their 11^th state championship under York. Wallace State finished 6-under par on Monday, distancing itself with a 25-stroke lead over defending national champion Central Alabama.

"Our concentration level on Monday was awesome. We came out thinking we were only going to get to play 18 holes and we approached it like it was going to be a very short tournament. We came out ready to play and performed solidly," said York, a NJCAA Hall of Fame coach. "Our guys are excited about being state champions. We played exceptionally well and close to our potential early on and hope to carry that over into the national tournament in 10 days. We are excited about that opportunity. We want to go over to Iowa and represent Wallace State and the state well."

Wallace State finished the three rounds with a 6-under 858. Central Alabama finished seven strokes behind the Lions, while Faulkner State rounded out the field.

For the second consecutive season, Chris Atchley was Wallace State's low medalist, earning the sophomore from Buckhorn a spot on the NJCAA All-Region 22 first team. Atchley finished with a 2-under 214, carding a 71-69-74. He finished third overall behind Central Alabama's Tim Walker and Faulkner State's Christian Pope.  Walker has held the top individual spot in NJCAA golf all year. 

Wallace State freshman Cooper Brown was also named first-team All-Region after shooting a 3-over 219. Brown finished with a pair of 71's during Monday's rounds and added a 77 on Tuesday.

Aksel Olsen, last season's individual national champion and Arnold Palmer Award winner at the NJCAA Division I national tournament, finished third for Wallace State. Will McDowell and Patrick Twesme completed the field for the state champions.

"To play as well as we did at Point Mallard is huge. It's a championship-level course and has hosted tournaments as notable as the Hooters Tour. We beat two quality teams, both ranked in the top 10, on a tough golf course. Winning this championship against competition like that only pays huge dividends. This should give us tons of confidence at nationals," York said. 

All three ACCC teams are ranked in the latest NJCAA poll, with Wallace State sixth, Central Alabama tenth, and Faulkner State thirteenth.

Follow all ACCC teams as they compete in the 2014 NJCAA, Division I National Championship in Burlington, Iowa; May 13-16 at Sleepy Hollow Golf Course.  Daily results may be seen at www.golfstat.com.

ACCC Tournament Results