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Bobcats to Appear in School’s First NJCAA Golf Championship
After finishing in third place at the NJCAA Gulf District Tournament at Tunica National Golf Club, Jones clinched its first ever appearance in the NJCAA Division II Golf Championship.
Competing in the championship was one of the top goals for the team going into the 2024-25 season. Over the years, the Bobcats have sent several athletes to nationals, but the 2024-25 season is the first time that the whole team has qualified. They will be competing against 21 other teams in the tournament May 20-23 at the Swan Lake Resort in Plymouth, Ind.
Sebastian Nowak led Jones at the Gulf District Tournament and was the tournament medalist, shooting 7-under par over the course of the three-day event. The sophomore showed great poise going into the third and final round of 18 holes, and he talked about how he’s progressed over the year.
“I was getting better throughout the season, so my confidence level definitely did rise,” Nowak said. “It was because it’s the postseason and we needed it just to make our goal that we’ve had all year. I was confident, it was important for me to play well and I’m glad I did.”
Among the names that will be representing the Jones Bobcats at the Division II Golf Championship are Nowak, freshman Drew Groscost, sophomore Connor Phillips, freshman Josh Tombs, sophomore Jacob Creel and freshman Harvey Taylor. Head Coach Bob Herrington has nothing but faith in his squad.
“We have a great group of young men who are going,” he noted. “We are going to hit great shots and bad shots. That’s just the way golf is. But if we could somehow finish in the top ten that would be a fantastic thing for our program. We are just so proud of our players.”
The 72-hole event will conclude on Friday and will be a massive challenge for the team, but the Bobcats are taking it head on and are ready for the challenge ahead of them.
