Coach Trey Mason hung up his golf bag after leading the squad from 2018 to 2014. In May, the Unit 5 School Board brought on Jeremy Jordan to lead the team. Jordan dropped in on Carmi Kiwanis Thursday to talk about his teams, made up of 23 total players. He’s joined by Carlin Smock, who oversees the girls team.
Seventeen boys, six girls…so it makes for a crowded course when we have them all out there. Our girls are all here today. Five of our top six boys are here today.
Jordan, a Kiwanian himself, says he hopes that he and fellow Kiwanian Adam Winkleman (father of Gabe Winkleman) can’t be here for Corn Day as that’s when the state finals are scheduled for in Bloomington. Regionals for the young men will be hosted by McLeansboro, but held at Green Hills Country Club in Mt. Vernon. Girls regionals will be hosted by perennial powerhouse Mt. Carmel. The Lady Aces have won the last four state championships and set a state record with a score of 604 in the 2021 final.
The girls squad graduated five seniors returning only Katelyn Davis to the varsity roster. He says they’re continuing to improve their scores each week and he’s anxious to see if they can make some noise.
The boys squad is senior heavy with nine total seniors, two juniors, three sophomores,
and three freshmen. The boys in attendance split on their favorite courses between Kokopelli in Marion and West Frankfort. The girls have a penchant for the course in Carmi. Coach Jordan said the team and community are lucky to have a course as nice as Carmi’s.
We’re very spoiled here. Mr. [Dave] Johnson can attest, the greens and fairways are great. You go to some of these other courses and the green’s 90% dead, you’re playing some refer to as a cow pasture you’re hitting across. So we’re blessed by Carmi Country Club and how they take care of that club and allow us to be out there.
The Boys and Girls teams both beat Flora on Tuesday and while the girls were off the rest of the week, the boys were headed to West Frankfort Thursday afternoon before squaring off in the Benton Invitational on Saturday.
In club business, President Amanda Nelson said the club voted to make donations to First United Methodist Church in the amount of $300 and $100 to a local deer donation program to help feed families.
Coming up next Thursday, Kiwanis will turn to one of it’s own again as Luke Sailer will talk about the Carmi-White County Schools Foundation and that organization taking over the Farm to Table event. It’s scheduled for Thursday, October 9th.