SMCC Men's Golf, Cecil Belisle Collect NJCAA Region I Division II Titles

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College men's golf team won the NJCAA Region I Division II Championship at Corte Bella Golf Course in Sun City West, Ariz., April 28-May 1. Sophomore Cecil Belisle took home individual medalist honors for the second-straight year, finishing at -7 (277) and turning in four rounds under-par. Freshman Ethan Klose placed second, and sophomore Sean Markham was fifth as SMCC won for the seventh time this spring and advanced to the NJCAA Division II National Championships at Twin Hills Country Club in Joplin, Mo., May 9-12. 

The Cougars carded a one-under, 283 to finish at even-par (1,136) at the par-71 course in their final round. They opened at 10-over, 294 and recovered to post rounds of eight-under, 276 and one-under, 283 in the second and third rounds, respectively, to move atop the leaderboard. 

Belisle won for the second time this spring and fifth in his SMCC career. He opened with a two-under 69 and then carded rounds of 68, 70 and 70 to win the Region I title for the second-straight year. He now heads to Missouri to defend his NJCAA Division II National Championship after winning the 2021 title at -6 (282) at Swan Lake Resort in Indiana. 

Klose took second at -3 (281) with three rounds under-par at the event. He opened with a one-under 70 and sandwiched rounds of two-under, 69 around a two-over 73 in round three. The performance was his fifth top-five and third second-place finish of the spring. 

Markham rebounded from an opening-round 79 to record his third top-five 2022 spring finish. He finished at even-par, 71 in the second round and then carded two rounds of two-under, 69 over the final 36 holes to finish at +4 (288). 

Jake Carlson finished at +10 (294) to place ninth with rounds of 79, 68, 71 and 76, and Zachary Erskine was +12 (296) with scores of 76, 72, 73 and 75 to tie for 10th.