Wolf Pack Golf Sends Three to National Tournament

WESSON – The Co-Lin Golf Team had a strong finish to the 2021-2022 season with back-to-back third place finishes in the MACCC State Tournament as well as the NJCAA District D Championship. The third-place finish at the NJCAA District D Championship resulted in the team just missing qualifying as a group for the NJCAA Division II National Championship; however, the Wolves had three individuals qualify to play.

Tanner Harrison (Brandon), Alex Navarro (Valencia, Spain), and Navid Mousavi (Castellon, Spain), all freshmen, will represent Co-Lin at the NJCAA Division II National Championship in Joplin, MO, from May 17-20 at Twin Hills Country Club.

"This is a big honor for our golf program at Co-Lin," said head coach Allen Kent. "Usually if your team does not make it then you're lucky to have one or maybe two individuals make it, but to have three of the five individuals that are getting to go on and play is quite an accomplishment, and we are very proud of our guys for their achievement."

"After a tough year that I had throughout the season, I am happy about this and that I am able to represent Co-Lin," stated Mousavi.

"For me this is a great accomplishment, even though our team struggled early in the year, we finished strong, and this gives me a chance to work as hard as I can to end with a strong finish personally," said Navarro.

"This is pretty important, and I think it is impressive for all three of us and for the program. I think I surprised a lot of people including myself and I think this is cool for us to represent Co-Lin as individuals on this stage," added Harrison.

Harrison and Navarro tied for ninth place at the NJCAA District D Championship shooting 74-78 and 77-75 respectively while Mousavi shot 74-79 to finish one point behind the pair, which gave the Wolves trio some of the highest individual scorings and allowed them to qualify to play at the national championship.

All three golfers say they are expecting a challenge in this championship especially given the unique circumstances surrounding the event as there will be four rounds of golf played instead of the normal two rounds per event that the players are accustomed to.

"Alex and I are used to playing three to four rounds of golf in tournaments back home," Mousavi said. "However, I know where my game is right now with still healing from an injury earlier this year and I am going to give my best effort."

"I think this tournament will be tough both mentally and physically because we are used to playing only two rounds in our tournaments," added Navarro. "But I think that I will still play pretty good because I have experience playing tournaments with more rounds in them while back home."

"I have never had a tournament where I have played more than four days and this one is five including the practice round," stated Harrison. "I think mentally the tournament will be tough because of the length aspect while physically it will push me like I haven't experienced before."

Coach Kent said he is ready to do everything that is necessary to get his players ready for the tournament, but thinks his players are ready for the challenge ahead.

"From a mental standpoint, that is something that we talk a lot about from day one from the standpoint of grinding things out, trying to have a short-term memory and then focus on the next shot…and these guys have done a very good job of that all year," said Kent. "From the physical standpoint, we have been lifting all year and their legs are stronger now than when they came here at the start of the year…walking during the tournaments and practice has helped with building their stamina. All these guys not only meet our criteria for workouts during the week, but also workout on their own and we feel very good about where they stand at being ready for the physical part of the tournament."

The NJCAA Division II National Championship officially begins on Tuesday, May 17 and ends on Friday, May 20 with a practice round on Monday, May 16 at Twin Hills Country Club in Joplin, Missouri.