Parkland Golf Wins Back-to-Back M-WAC Title

Cobras win 13th conference crown

METAMORA, Ill. — The fourth-ranked Parkland Men’s Golf team won its second straight Mid-West Athletic Conference title, its third in the last four years, Monday evening at Metamora Field Golf Club.

Winning by 17 strokes (339) over runner-up Illinois Central, the Cobras were led by co-medalist Jalen Hodges (71) and All-Conference honoree Brandon Rowe (73).

“I’m proud of the guys for the fight they showed all day on a really difficult course,” said Coach Corbin Sebens. “We didn’t have our best stuff, but it’s a good start to the year we can build from.”

Winning its third conference crown since 2015, the Cobras lead the MWAC in total titles with 13 since its inception in 1996. Parkland went on to take third place at the NJCAA Championships this past spring.

Through the opening scramble competition, Parkland and Illinois Central remained tied with the duos of Kristian Kristensen and Mason Ghodina (30) and Brandon Rowe and Kyle Edwards (30).

The Cobras gained the advantage in the alternate shot portion of the tournament, picking up five strokes on Illinois Central and carding a combined 69. Seben’s squad maintained its five-stroke lead through the best ball round, as Vincennes passed Illinois Central to move into second place entering the final nine holes.

In individual play, co-medalist Jalen Hodges posted Parkland’s best round by carding 35, while Kyle Edwards followed with a 36.

Overall, Parkland finished with a final stroke score of 339, while Illinois Central (356) passed Vincennes (357) in individual play to comeback and earn second place. Lewis & Clark placed fourth with a final score of 397.

Team Scores:
Parkland - 339
Illinois Central - 356
Vincennes - 357
Lewis & Clark - 397

Awards:
Co-Medalists: Jalen Hodges (Parkland) and Wyatt Robers (Vincennes)
All-Conference: Zach Hall (Vincennes), Noah Benbow (ICC) and Brandon Rowe (Parkland)

[Article by Chad Beyler]