May 7, 2009
PHOTO GALLERY (Wednesday and Thursday)
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - North Carolina Central University completed its practice round on Thursday and the Eagles are now ready for the 23rd PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship, which begins Friday (May 8) morning at the PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
NCCU is one of 12 Division I teams competing for the national championship title, which will be decided on Sunday after three rounds of play.
The Eagles are paced by junior transfer Juan Sanchez (Sahuayo Michoacan, Mexico), who boasts a team-best scoring average of 75.89 in five tournaments this season.
NCCU seniors Josue Garza (Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico) and Chris Winters (Durham, N.C.) have two years of experience each at the PGA event.
Garza is averaging 76.93 per round in seven events this season, while posting a team-high 20 birdies with one eagle.
Winters has tallied an average score of 79.36 in his seven tournaments this year, including 11 birdies.
A pair of freshmen, Braden Cox (Summerfield, N.C.) and Ronald Royster (Shallotte, N.C.), round out the Eagle line-up.
Cox averages 80.07 strokes per round. He leads the team with two eagles and is tied for second on the squad with 11 birdies.
Royster has recorded an 89.07 scoring average in his rookie campaign with four birdies and a low round of 80 to his credit.
Guiding the Eagles is head coach Paul Perry, who was selected as the 2008-09 Coach of the Year by the NCCU Student Activities Board.
Under Perry's leadership, NCCU enjoyed four top four finishes in its previous seven events, including a dramatic come-from-behind victory at the Winston-Salem State Ram Invitational. The Eagles also tied for second place at the Savannah State Tiger Fall Invitational and placed third at the South Carolina State Bulldog Classic.
The other 11 teams in the Division I competition are Alabama A&M University, Alabama State University, Bethune-Cookman University, Florida A&M University, Hampton University, Savannah State University, South Carolina State University, Tennessee State University, Texas Southern University, University of Texas Pan-American, and Winston-Salem State University.
Complete coverage of NCCU's weekend at the PGA Minority Collegiate Championship will be available at www.NCCUEaglePride.com.
