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| Florida A&M, Kentucky State earn titles in 14th National Minority College ChampionshipMay 9, 2000
By Bob Denney, PGA.com Senior Mike Rice finished with a 4-under-par 68 to grab Division I medalist honors and lead Florida A&M University to its first national golf title, cruising by a 23-stroke margin while breaking two tournament records in Tuesday's conclusion to the 14th National Minority College Golf Championship at PGA Golf Club. Florida A&M's four-member unit finished with a school- and tournament-record 10-under-par 278, on the way to a championship record 54-hole total of 11-under-par 853. Bethune-Cookman, which owned the previous mark of 856, finished with an 876, while Tennessee State University was next at 886. Rice, a 25-year-old from Apopka, Fla., birdied four holes in a five-hole stretch from the ninth through 13th holes to finish with a 54-hole total of 8-under-par 208. The Rattlers got solid performances by a trio of freshmen teammates: Tirrel Baymon of Atlanta, Ga., Patrick Irwin of Tallahassee, Fla., and Jay Sandhu of Nairobi, Kenya, who each closed with 70s. Bethune-Cookman's Philip Worthington finished with a 69 and 212 total to tie Baymon, but was awarded runner-up medalist based on Tuesday's round. "We came in as a nobody and left as a somebody," said Rice. "It started slow for me today, but I ended up with birdies on four holes in the middle of the round and cruised it on in. I began my career with a win and now I leave it with a win. It was very special. Our team finally played to our potential." Kentucky State's Thorobreds won their second Division II title in three years, with senior Nick Starchuk on Kanata, Ontario, Canada, had a 73 to earn medalist honors with a 7-over-par 223. Starchuk closed with a 76, while backed by teammates Kerry Moher of Stitsville, Ontario, who had a 76-228, Marcus Barone of Alexandria, Ky., with a 78-238 and Mark Hudson of Dry Ridge, Ky., with a 78-242. "We felt very confident coming into today's round," said Starchuk, who together with senior Moher and Barone helped win the 1998 Division II title. "We were all playing well and had a disappointing first day. And, we pulled it off. I have one year of eligibility remaining and I wasn't sure I would come back. But after this week, I think I'll come back." James Mobley of Bethune-Cookman won the Independent Men's Division title with a 19-over-par 235 total. Kentucky State's Stephen Cunningham was runner-up medalist with a 250. Bethune-Cookman's Lady Wildcats captured their second Women's Division title in three years, finishing with a 932 total, while Hampton University was runner-up with 1,056. Senior Hayley Hunt of Adelaide, Australia, led the Lady Wildcats with a 4-over-par 220. Junior Julia Walsh of Watertown, Wis., a Bethune-Cookman team member but competing in the Independent Women's Division, struggled to an 81, but won medalist honors with a 228. Bethune-Cookman's Caroline Pehrson of Falkenberg, Sweden, finished a stroke behind Walsh after recording the day's low round of 70. The National Minority College Golf Championship, which attracted 19 colleges and universities and representatives from 10 countries, is co-sponsored by The PGA of America and the National Minority College Golf Scholarship Fund of Highland Hills, Ohio.
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