Sports

Region, a trip to Phoenix on line

• Darton College’s golf team can win its seventh region title in a row this week in Helen.

Scott Chancey

HELEN — Darton College golf coach Dale Dover would rather his team forget everything to this point.

Those six consecutive region titles and three consecutive NJCAA Division II championships? To him, they’re just blasts from the past.

When this year’s Region XVII tournament begins today at Helen’s Innsbruck Country Club, Dover will be as nervous as he always is come crunch time.

“I don’t take anything for granted,” Dover said.

The format will be different from those in the past since the 54-hole tournament will not be held during three days. Instead, 18 will be played today and 36 Tuesday.

If the Cavaliers win region title No. 7, they will fly to Phoenix for this year’s national tournament and a chance to win a fourth crown. Darton won its first three titles at Goose Pond Colony Golf Course in Scottsboro, Ala.

A win at Phoenix, if Darton advances there, would move the Cavaliers within one title of the Division II record for most in a row. Tyler (Texas) Junior College won five from 1994-98.

“I’m really excited,” said freshman Jin Chung, who is ranked seventh in the country and is the Cavaliers’ third-seeded golfer. “Everybody wants to go, but we’ve got to do good at region first.”

That’s right. First things first. 

“(Dover) reminds us every day in practice not to be focusing on Arizona until after we possibly win region,” said Matt Smith, who is a sophomore but did not play in last year’s national tournament.

Sophomore Chesley Gunn, who was the fifth seed on last year’s national title team and is the Cavaliers’ top-seeded player this week. Smith is second, followed by 2007 First-Team All-American Coleman Calhoun and freshman Evan Hanna.

“All of them are capable of going under par,” Dover said. “They don’t always do it, but they’re capable. Each of them has done it more than once.”

Hanna could play a crucial role, having to score well in case one of the other four struggles today.

“Evan has a lot of tournament experience and s a really good ball striker,” Calhoun said. “That experience will help when it’s crunch time.”

Although Abraham Baldwin only brings three players to the region tournament and is not eligible for the region title, Gunn is concerned with the Stallions’ three golfers (a team must have five to be tournament-eligible).

“They’ve got some players, I don’t think we’ve seen the best of them yet,” Gunn said. “Any of them can go low at any given time.”

This is the third season since ABAC revived its golf program after not having one for several years.

The Stallions, coached by Herb Hendricks, are led by Brazzle Young III, Corey Ranew and Chase Grantham.

“Any three of those, if they are on their game, will be in the hunt Tuesday,” Hendricks said.

Truett-McConnell, Young Harris, Georgia Military and Andrew are tentatively expected to play at Helen. Andrew, like ABAC, only have thre golfers. The Tigers could also bring its women’s team which also has three players.

Andrew’s male roster lists Slade Phillips, David Tenorio and Michael Wiemers, and the women’s roster features Sydney Galloway, Robyn Gordon and Amber White.

Darton’s depth, however, is what makes them it tournament favorite.

“They’re all capable of producing a good round, and that’s what I expect of them,” Dover said.

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