Georgia Northwestern All-American sophomore Chase Cole (seated, center), is joined by parents Amy and Jon Cole as he signs papers to continue his college golf career as a Dalton State Roadrunner, beginning next fall. Also on hand for the signing at the Trenton Golf Club were (back row, from left) Dalton State coach Ben Ricketts, Georgia Northwestern coach Jared Willerson and Trenton Golf Club head pro Jim Holloway.
Chase Cole has already accomplished much in a short time while at Georgia Northwestern and there are still plenty of goals out there for him as he preps for the spring golf season.
But one of his goals has already been met.
The Bobcat sophomore and former Dade County High School standout secured his next two years of college golf on Tuesday when he signed papers to continue his career with the Roadrunners of Dalton State College.
Cole signed the papers in a small ceremony at the Trenton Golf Club, his home course, with his family, friends, current coach and future coach on hand.
“It’s kind of a bittersweet moment for me,” said Bobcats golf coach Jared Willerson. “I’ve enjoyed having Chase the last year-and-a–half and we still have a lot of work to do this spring, but I’m really happy for him. The goal of junior college golf is to get these guys ready for the next level and I feel like we had a small part in that.”
A three-time region champion while at Dade County High, Cole placed fourth in state as a freshman and was the Class 2A state runner-up on two different occasions.
That resume put Cole right near the top of Willerson’s wish list when it came to recruiting and he paid immediate dividends after signing with the Bobcats.
Cole had a 73.13 scoring average as a freshman, scoring four Top 10’s and a pair of Top 2 finishes.
At the GCAA Region XVII tournament this past April in Albany, he carded rounds of 77, 71 and a season-low 68 in the final round to win the individual title and help lift the Bobcats to the region’s Division III championship and the automatic national berth that came with in the program’s first year of eligibility.
At the NJCAA Men’s Division III Nationals in Chatauqua, N.Y. in early June, Cole fired rounds of 75, 75, 74 and 75 to place fourth overall in the individual standings and earn first-team All-American honors. As a team, the Bobcats placed third overall.
A Business Management major, Cole also made the Dean’s List in the fall of 2014.
“He’s an explosive player and a special talent,” Willerson said. “He’s took the bull by the horns, did everything I asked him to do and people started to take notice. I still get two or three calls a week from other schools asking about Chase.”
“I’m excited to add Chase to our lineup,” said Dalton State head coach Ben Ricketts. “Coach Willerson and I have spoken about (Chase) for the past couple of years and as he’s developed he’s someone I’ve kept my eye on for the past two years. It will be nice to bring some experience into the program. Bringing in a junior that’s been playing college golf for two years is a little different than bringing in a freshman.
“I think Chase is ready to move up and see what he can do. The level of competition will change a huge amount once we get to nationals, but I think he’s looking forward to that challenge and we’re glad to have him on board.”
Cole will join a Roadrunner program that will be shooting for a second straight NAIA Southern States Athletic Conference championship in 2016. Dalton State placed 13th at he national tournament, but Roadrunner golfer Sean Elliott was the individual low medalist with a record-breaking four-day total of 16-under par and an eight-stroke victory.
“Chase has worked really hard to get better and we were able to provide the opportunity that he otherwise wouldn’t have had if we didn’t have golf at Georgia Northwestern,” Willerson added. “I think seeing someone realize a dream is probably what I’m most proud of. It’s pretty important to me and our program.”
Since 1962, Georgia Northwestern Technical College has been instrumental in providing quality workforce education to the citizens of Northwest Georgia. The mission of Georgia Northwestern Technical College is to provide accessible, high quality technical education and workforce development opportunities. Serving the nine counties of Catoosa; Chattooga; Dade; Floyd; Gordon; Murray; Polk; Walker; and Whitfield, GNTC has five convenient campus locations in Floyd, Gordon, Polk, Walker, and Whitfield counties. With programs of study in business, health, industrial, and public service available, students have the opportunity to earn an associate’s degree, diploma, or a certificate from GNTC.
This past year, 14,562 people benefited from GNTC’s credit and noncredit programs. With an annual credit enrollment of 8,249 students, GNTC is the largest college in Northwest Georgia and the fifth largest technical college in the state of Georgia. GNTC has an additional enrollment of 6,313 people through adult education, continuing education, business and industry training, and Georgia Quick Start.