Golf Takes Silver; Freshman Reiley Earns All-Conference; Senior Sweet Named Champion of Character
Golf Takes Silver; Freshman Reiley Earns All-Conference; Senior Sweet Named Champion of Character-Wil Teague, Sports Information Director, 4/30/29
Today was an emotional day on the green as seniors, Isaac Langley, Creston Sweet, and Matthew Crabtree sunk their last puts as Pioneers with one final stroke on hole 18, concluding the CAC Championship Tournament. After two days and 54 holes, the three seniors along with their teammates made program history by jumping one spot in the standings, taking silver in the tournament with a total of 937 strokes (+97) over par.
Paragould, Ark.- Freshman Denton Reiley came in first for the squad by narrowly missing his round two score of even par as the Franklin, AR native finished the final round one over with 71 strokes. Reiley ended the Tournament with 220 strokes, (+10) over par, in three rounds, which placed him 7th overall in the tournament earning the young Pioneer the honor of being named CAC All-Conference.
Senior Isaac Langley ended his Pioneer career finishing second on the team thanks to consistent gameplay which closely mirrored his second-round score, as Langley shot six over par in today's round, ending with a final scorecard of 76. The Piggott, Ark. native totaled 232 strokes, (+22) over par, placing him 13th overall in his final Conference Tournament Invitational.
Senior Creston Sweet fell behind Langely with the Jonesboro, Ark. native adding tallys to his day three effort. After consistent rounds of 75 and 74 yesterday, Sweet ended the final eighteen with 85 strokes, giving him a total of 234, (+24) over par, dropping him to land right behind his team co-captain Isaac Langley at 14th overall.
During the awards ceremony, Creston Sweet was honored with being named the Champion of Character for CRC. The Champion of Character is awarded to a select number of student-athletes who demonstrate the 5 core qualities of Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Sportsmanship, and Servant Leadership in the classroom and on the green. CRC's Sweet was one of six student-athletes to receive this prestigious award.
Junior Walker Hibbs, who shot his personal best on the Paragould Country Club course in the opening round, toughly followed his round two backward gameplay in today's trip on the course as the Walnut Ridge, Ark. native added three more strokes from his round two score ending with 90 hacks for the day. Hibbs totaled 256 strokes, (+46) over par, lowering him three slots to end 24th overall in the tournament.
Senior Matthew Crabtree ended his collegiate career on a positive note with the senior shooting his best round of the tournament. In fact, Crabtree was en route to his personal best on the PCC course until the last three holes gave enough trouble to force the veteran Pioneer to settle for an 85, giving a total of 265 strokes, (+55) over par, and up one slot to place 25th overall in his final collegiate competition.
Today's efforts from the Pioneers Men's Golf team kept Head Coach Adam Meeker's medalist streak alive with their historic placing, helping build CRC's Golf program continually forward. When asked about the day's events, a very emotional Coach Meeker commented:
"Man, where do I start? First, let me wipe these tears from my eyes and go blow my nose. What a way to cap the season. This has been one of my favorite years of coaching since coming to CRC. I'm just so appreciative that Isaac, Creston, and Matthew get to go out on this high note. These three guys have helped me develop as a coach as much as I have tried to help develop them as players. But as the saying goes, "All good things must come to an end", to say I'm going to miss these guys is an understatement." - Adam Meeker
And just like that the 2024 Pioneer Golf season comes to a close. It's been an honor to watch, review, cover, and spread all the news this season has had for Pioneer Golf. Best wishes to our three graduating seniors, Isaac, Creston, and Matthew. #GOPIONEERS