Mount Olive men's golf starts regional play Monday

By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on May 4, 2008 2:01 AM

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MOC Sports Information

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive College begins play Monday in the NCAA Division II Atlantic/Southeast Super Regional men's golf tournament at The Point Lake and Golf Club in Mooresville.

The Trojans are making their third consecutive postseason appearance.

Mount Olive is one of eight Atlantic Region teams competing in the Super Regional. The low-scoring team from the Atlantic and Southeast region, along with three at-large teams, advance to the NCAA Championships in Houston, Texas.

Wayne Christian graduate Jonathan Greene will battle in his third regional and has the lowest stroke average on the team. A junior from Goldsboro, Greene tied for eighth overall in last year's regional.

He doesn't plan to change his strategy.

"You just need to have your game right and be ready to play," said Greene.

Joining Greene is another Wayne County golfer, freshman Ryan Campbell. The former Charles B. Aycock star emerged the Trojans' top individual finisher at the Conference Carolinas Championship.

"(The conference tournament) has given me a lot of confidence and I can see it in my game the last couple practices," said Campbell. "It just feels good to get my game where it needs to be and I'm looking forward to the tournament very much."

Campbell and Greene are among five Trojan golfers from the team's 10-player roster who will participate in the regional. Sophomore Pete Skirpstas makes his first NCAA Tournament appearance, while fellow sophomore Johan Hagsund competes in his second NCAA Tournament.

Senior Mick Moberg makes school history by competing in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive year. As a freshman, Moberg was one of two Trojans to compete as individuals in the 2005 Super Regional.

Mount Olive did not get a bid for the team competition.

Moberg's accomplishment, however, goes a little farther.

He is just one of several Trojan athletes to compete in four NCAA Championships in any sport. Also included are men's basketball players Elton Coffield, Elijah Rouse and Montel Jones; and former baseball standouts Chad Holland, Derek Matthews and Joe Perkins.

Moberg put the historical feat in perspective.

"I haven't really thought about (the NCAA Tournament appearances) other than it has always been part of my goals and something I've tried to achieve," said Moberg, who will graduate next week with a 3.93 grade point average in environmental science. "I am proud of being the first golfer to compete in four NCAA Championships, but hopefully not the last."

While Mount Olive did not have any first-place finishes during the regular season - compared to four in 2006-07 - the Trojans finished ahead of each of the Conference Carolinas teams that are in the regional at least one time this year. Mount Olive was only two shots out of the lead after the first round of this year's conference championship.

"We are definitely proud of the accomplishments, but as a team we're not very satisfied," said sixth-year head coach Chip Spiron. "We feel like we really let one slip away at the conference championship. We put ourselves in a position to finish at the top, but did not play as well the last two days."