EMCC’s Lucy Lunceford qualifies for NJCAA Division II Women’s Golf Championship

SCOOBA – East Mississippi Community College freshman Lucy Lunceford has been chosen as an at-large individual selection to compete in the upcoming 2025 NJCAA Division II Women's Golf National Championship. The four-round tournament will be held May 13-16 at Cedar Pointe Golf Course in Boone, Iowa.

Lunceford, a Tuscaloosa, Alabama product from Northside High School, qualified for the upcoming national tournament as one of three individuals from the NJCAA's South District (Regions 14, 22 & 23) who are not members of one of the four qualifying teams. Based on the final results from the NJCAA South District Championship played earlier this week at Cider Ridge Golf Club in Oxford, Alabama, district team champion Shelton State along with Snead State, Jefferson State and Wallace State all qualified for nationals. The three individual selections from the South District were earned by EMCC's Lunceford, Chase Martin of Southern Union State and Northwest Mississippi's Kali Figueroa.

Lunceford's selection comes as a result of her 13^th-place individual finish at this week's NJCAA South District Championship, where she carded rounds of 86 and 85 for a two-day total of 171. Currently ranked 23^rd nationally among the NJCAA Division II women's golfers, she owns a team-leading 86.26 season stroke average while having placed as the Lions' top finisher in all but one of the team's 10 tournaments played during EMCC's debut women's golf season. In addition, Lunceford has placed no lower than 21^st in tournament play throughout the campaign, including winning low medalist honors in her collegiate debut at the season-opening EMCC Invitational played at Tunica National. She then finished runner-up two tournaments later at the Meridian CC-hosted Jim Redgate Invitational at Briarwood.

Lunceford will become the 11^th golfer from East Mississippi Community College to participate in national championship competition on the links, joining former EMCC men's golfers Joey Partin (2017), Steven Eilders (2015), Hunter Harmon (2014), Miles Respess (2013), Zack Bailey (2011), Weston Wallace (2011), Hal Larkin (2009), Gary Sheppard (2004), Matt King (2001) and Drew McBrayer (1999).

Fellow EMCC freshmen Kaylee Dufrene (New Orleans, LA/Mount Carmel Academy) and Lannee Bray (Raymond, MS/Central Hinds Academy) concluded their 2024-25 season play by also competing at this week's NJCAA South District Women's Golf Championship at Cider Ridge. They finished tied for 20^th (87-96—183) and tied for 25^th (95-95—190), respectively, among the 51-player tournament field.