VGCC Golfer plays in national championship

The Vance-Granville Community College golf program recently completed the 2013 season, the first season under Coach Bobby Paff and the first in school history to end with a player in the sport’s national tournament.

 

First, Vanguard golfer Becky Anderson of Henderson competed in the Ladies’ Region X Championship (April 12-14), hosted by Spartanburg Methodist College and placed sixth with a score of 185 over two days. Other colleges participating in the conference championship included Sandhills Community College, Johnston Community College, Surry Community College, Wake Technical Community College and the host college. Meanwhile, VGCC also sent golfer Jake Rinker of Creedmoor to the Men’s Region X Championship (April 21-23), hosted by Craven Community College. Rinker shot 216 over the two days, facing off against student-athletes from Johnston CC, Surry CC, Louisburg College, Sandhills CC and Central Carolina Community College.

 

Anderson’s strong showing qualified her to compete in the NJCAA Women’s Golf National Championship, held May 13-16 at the Longbow Golf Course in Mesa, Arizona. With a total score of 360 over four rounds, Anderson tied for 52nd out of 127 student-athletes representing 37 two-year colleges from across the country. Anderson became not only the first golfer from VGCC to play in the national championship, but also the first Vanguard student-athlete in any sport to participate in a national postseason tournament. Coach Paff noted that not only did Anderson finish in the top half among individual golfers at the tournament, but she also posted her best scores of the entire season and had the second-lowest score among all the players at the national championship representing colleges from Region X.

 

Both Anderson and Rinker also performed exceptionally in the classroom. They both had a perfect 4.0 Grade Point Average for the Fall 2012 and Spring 2013 semesters. Rinker is set to complete his diploma in Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Technology in August.

 

Above: From left, VGCC Golf Coach Bobby Paff and golfer Becky Anderson of Henderson at the NJCAA Women’s Golf National Championship in Mesa, Arizona.