Wilkinson wins MACCC medalist

Mississippi Gulf Coast's Matt Wilkinson won medalist honors at the MACCC Championship in Meridian on Tuesday, and the Bulldogs moved up a spot to finish second. 

"He just played so solid, so solid," Gulf Coast coach Tommy Snell said. "He deserved to win that tournament. He was so solid like he's been all year long."

Gulf Coast finished three back of Northeast Mississippi, which finished at 16-over at Briarwood Golf Club. Host Meridian was third at 30-over.

"We played better today, thank goodness, but hats off to Northeast," Snell said. "They just played better."

Gulf Coast easily clinched a spot in the NJCAA District D Tournament, which will be played April 27-28 in Madison. The top five teams from the MACCC Tournament plus the next five individuals move on. The top two teams in the district tournament will advance to the national championship next month.

Hayden Green (So, D'Iberville/Biloxi) tied for sixth at 5-over.

Ethan Trouth (Fr, The Streetly Academy/Sutton Coldfield, England) and Reeves Johnson (Fr, Germantown/Madison) carded nice bounce-back rounds after disappointing first rounds. Trouth was five shots better to move into a tie for 11th, and Johnson shot a 73, nine better than Monday.

"Reeves finally got in the groove," Snell said. "They sure rebounded back well."

Wilkinson edged Northeast's Jake Kilcrease and Southwest's Brett Baker by one shot for medalist honors. They were joined on the All-Tournament team by Northeast's Tate Dickerson and Carson Wilder, along with Meridian's Diego Leslie.

The conference also handed out its season awards. Meridian's Ethan Dyess won the first-ever Tommy Snell Award, given to the golfer with the lowest scoring average during the year.

Wilkinson joined Meridian's Leslie and Dyess, and Northeast's Kilcrease and Dickerson on the All-MACCC First Team. Green and Reeves made the Second Team, along with Southwest's Baker, Northeast's Austin Lauderdale and Meridian's Presley Wade.

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