Wallace State golf finishes national runner-up at NJCAA Division I championships; Cooper Brown earns individual national title

Wallace State golf finishes national runner-up at NJCAA Division I championships; Cooper Brown earns individual national title

HANCEVILLE – Wallace State's golf team ended a splendid postseason run Friday, finishing national runner-up at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I championships at the Spirit Hollow Golf Course in Burlington, Iowa.

It's the third national runner-up finish for the Wallace State golf team under NJCAA Hall of Fame coach Dan York and the first since his teams accomplished the feat in 1993 and 1996.

For the second consecutive year, Wallace State laid claim to the individual national champion as freshman Cooper Brown finished tied for first with a 5-over par 293, earning low medalist honors. Brown, a Canadian, shot a 1-under 71 on the final day of the four-day event and concluded the nationals shooting 71-76-75-71. He tied for first with Midland (Texas) Community College's David Wicks.

York, who wrapped up his 27th season with the Lions, had his first individual national champion last season when Aksel Olsen achieved the feat and brought back the Arnold Palmer Award to Hanceville.

Now, Brown has made it back-to-back individual national champions for Wallace State. Brown was also named a NJCAA All-American at the conclusion of the tournament, marking the 15th player under York to receive the honor.

Olsen finished tied for eighth for the Lions in Iowa. He started Friday's final round in fourth place, but shot a 79 to close the tournament. Olsen carded a 77-71-73-79 to finish with a 12-over 300.

Chris Atchley, Will McDowell and Patrick Twesme also contributed to Wallace State's national runner-up finish.

Indian Hills (Iowa) Community College completed the wire-to-wire national championship. Wallace State was nestled in second place the entire way as well and started the day only three strokes shy of first place. Indian Hills pulled away over the final 18 holes, shooting a 6-over 294, while the Lions finished with a 19-over 307. Wallace State finished the tournament with a 19-over 1206. Indian Hills shot a 6-over 1190 for the title.

The Lions qualified for the program's 19th national tournament with a runner-up finish at the NJCAA District 4 tournament in mid-April. Wallace State topped that feat on April 29, by winning its 11th Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC)/Region 22 championship and first since 2008. The Lions began the state tournament on fire, leading by 25 strokes after the first round. They went on to beat defending national champion Central Alabama by seven strokes for the state title. For the second consecutive season, Atchley was Wallace State's low medalist at the state tournament, earning the sophomore from Buckhorn a spot on the NJCAA All-Region 22 first team.

Brown was also selected to the NJCAA All-Region 22 first team.

Defending National Champion Central Alabama finished eighth and fellow ACCC member Faulkner State finished tenth.

Pictured is individual medalist Cooper Brown.

 

Course:Spirit Hollow Golf Course: 2014 NJCAA Championship     Par 72 - 7360 yards
current
position
Team scoring rounds total
score
to par thru today 1 2 3 4
1 Indian Hills CC +38 F +6 298 295 303 294 1190
2 Wallace State CC +54 F +19 301 297 301 307 1206
3 Iowa Western CC +61 F +13 306 299 307 301 1213
4 Darton CC +66 F +18 316 298 298 306 1218
5 Odessa College +75 F +23 319 305 292 311 1227
6 Midland CC +76 F +20 311 305 304 308 1228
7 McLennan CC +77 F +21 317 308 295 309 1229
8 Central Alabama CC +78 F +26 312 304 300 314 1230
9 Dodge City CC +88 F +27 316 301 308 315 1240
10 Faulkner State CC +93 F +22 317 309 309 310 1245
11 Eastern Florida State College +97 F +27 324 298 312 315 1249
12 Scottsdale CC +101 F +27 316 308 314 315 1253
13 Western Texas CC +104 F +24 321 315 308 312 1256
14 Cape Fear CC +105 F +14 326 312 317 302 1257
15 North Idaho College +111 F +19 315 326 315 307 1263
16 Paris JC +112 F +30 313 316 317 318 1264
17 Johnson County CC +123 F +28 314 326 319 316 1275
18 Eastern Arizona College +126 F +33 322 314 321 321 1278
19 Pima CC +138 F +33 331 322 316 321 1290
20 Hutchinson CC +153 F +50 320 313 334 338 1305
21 Barton County CC +159 F +39 326 336 322 327 1311
22 Eastern Wyoming CC +209 F +54 339 351 329 342 1361

For individual results, please visit:
http://www.golfstatresults.com/public/leaderboards/player/index.cfm?tournament_id=4923