iREporter
MARY PERSONS 2019 VARSITY BOYS GOLF TEAM: Pictured from left to right on the front row: Aden Whitehead, Carson Newberry, Jason Cox, James Gibbs, Calen Knight and
Lane Norris. Pictured from left to right on the back row: head coach Jan Collins, Hunter Hall, Cannon Newberry, Dylan Steed, Gus Proctor, McClane Smith, Justin Nash and assistant
coach Brett Rucker. (Photo/Richard Dumas)
By Richard Dumas Collins said she's excited in playing the game." last year.
forsyth@mymcr.net to share her lifelong love of Assisting the MP golf Four other Bulldogs
golf with her players,program for the secondwere team members a year
Fresh off the program's "It's a big set of shoes to straight year is River Forest ago and will look to crack
first state tournament ap- fill" Collins said. "Clint assistant golf professional the playing rotation this
pearance in four years, the is a great guy But I have Brett Rucker, who will serve year. Those include: junior
veteran Mary Persons boys a love for the game. My as the squad's swing expert. Hunter Hall and sopho-
golf team may be poised morn and dad both wereCollins said of Rucker: mores James Gibbs, Lane
for even greater success in avid golfers. They played at "Brett's the go-to. He does Norris and McClane Smith.
2019. Capital City Country Club this for a living. He'S the Team newcomers include
The Bulldogs return all in Tallahassee, Fla where I pro. I just wear the other a trio of freshmen: Jason
six starters who competed grew up. They both love the hat." Cox, Justin Nash and Aden
in the 2018 AAAA state game. I've played the game Leading the way for the Whitehead.
tournament, including throughout. I started in my Bulldogs' boys squad in Collins said she's really
junior Gus Proctor, who youth and then picked it 2019 will be senior Dylan impressed with the quality
finished in a team-best tie up again once or twice and Steed, a four-year starter, of her boys' squad, which
for 54th at state, now that rm semi-retired I who placed in a tie for 98th opened the season with an
The most notable Bull- picked the game up again. I at state last year. Other top 11 -stroke victory over Jones
dog not returning from hope to spread the joy and returners include: Proctor, County at River Forest on
last year's state squad is the the camaraderie and the a three-year starter, junior March 5.
team's head coach Clint elation of being able to see Jimbo Finch, who is also "We've got a lot of build-
Ashmore, who retired after things that you wouldn't playing on the MP ten-ing to do on the ladies' end
four years of leading the otherwise see unless you're nis squad this spring, the and a lot of experience
MP golf program. In Ash- on the golf course. I think sophomore brother tandem on the guys' end" Collins
mores stead is new head it's a great game that you of Cannon Newberry andsaid. "They're teenagers,
coach Jan Collins, who has have all your life. So, I love Carson Newberry, and so there's room to grow.
assisted the MP softball to watch the game, I love sophomore Calen Knight, But we've got some strong,
program for the last several to play the game and I've who posted some of MP's strong guys"
made a lot of good friends best scores as a freshman As for the MP girls golf
years.
team, 2019 is expected
to be a rebuilding year as
the team features just one
returner, junior Carrington
Hughes, from last year's
squad that finished 19th
at state. However, Collins
said she foresees a promis-
ing future because the girls
squad has almost doubled
in number from six to 10
in 2019.
"We've got 10 (players);'
Collins said. "Everybody
would be happy with that.
We've got eight of our la-
dies who have never played
the game before. So we're
very young, very inexperi-
enced, but hopefully they
will acquire the skills and
the knowledge to be able to
Joining Hughes on this'
year's squad are newcom-
ers: Carlie Allen, Savanna
Bittick, Emma Heath, Lore-
lai Lance, Lauren Lender-
man, Natalie McCollum,
Cassy Phillips, Heather
Tillman and Victoria Vin-
ing.
"My kids this year
couldn't be a finer group
of young people" Collins
said. "They are top drawer.
rm really enjoying working
with this age group like I do
in softball. It's a great group
of young men and young
ladies. I'm very proud of
the dedication that they've
shown thus far."
The Bulldogs' boys and
girls golf squads will next
play the game and increase host area rival Upson-Lee
in their abilities as the days at River Forest GolfClub at?
go on" 3:45 p m. on Thursday
MARY PERSONS 2019 VARSITY GIRLS GOLF TEAM: Pictured from left to right: assistant coach Brett Rucker, Victoria
Vining, Emma Heath, Cassy Phillips, Savanna Biffick, Carlie Alien, Carrington Hughes, Heather Tillman and head coach
Jan Collins. (Photo/Richard Dumas)
ol
annual
The Exchange Club
of Forsyth held its
annual Forsythia
Festival Golf Tour-
nament on March
8. Pictured from
left to right is the
First Place Team
of Terry Williams,
Gary Pryor, Drew
Hickman and Sam
Anderson. The
Exchange Club is
a civic organiza-
tion that makes
donations to needy
caused in Monroe
County. All of the
proceeds from the
tournament will be
return to the Mon-
roe County area.
(Photo/Felix King)
