"Community support" was a continuing theme as members of the Kiwanis Club of Dalton heard from two of the coaches and two of the stars of the young Dalton State golf program during Monday’s meeting.
Dalton State Golf Coaches Ben Rickett and Jim McGrew said that getting championship golfers to come to Dalton State is easy after they visit the community and the Dalton State campus.
Sean Elliott said college golfers participating in the Carpet Capital Collegiate Classic, held annually at The Farm, are amazed that the Roadrunners are practicing at The Farm and Dalton Golf and Country Club.
"Many of the schools hit at a driving range and that is about it," NAIA Men's Tournament Champion Sean Eliott told us.
"Very few schools have access to the facilities that we do."
"I love this community," echoed NAIA Women's Tournament Champ Julia McQuilken. She said her dad and maternal grandfather can be credited for sharing their love of golf with her. Seminole State (Fla.) teammate Erika Wardzinski visited Dalton State first and signed. After Erika signed she went back to Florida and told Julia that she needed to take a look at the new program.
McQuilken said she also made the easy decision to head to Dalton to finish her education. McQuilken and Wardzinski were both junior college All-Americans and brought immediate prestige to the Roadrunner program.
Elliott is a native of Westfield, New Jersey who said that at a very early age he loved to play miniature golf at the many courses along the boardwalk at the Jersey Shore. He also learned early on how to drive the ball and to hit out of the rough.
After making the decision to transfer from another college, Elliott said he had to pay his own way at Dalton State for a while because his previous school had refused to release him. He credits that time as helping him develop his golf game.
Each coach downplayed their part in developing the golf program’s success, but the two athletes respectfully disagreed. Both Roadrunner golf teams won the Southern States Athletic Conference Championship in their first year of eligibility. The teams also competed well in their national tournaments with the women finishing tied for second in the nation.
McQuilken is a senior as far as golf eligibility but plans to stay in Dalton as an assistant while she finishes her degree. Elliott has two years of eligibility remaining and plans to finish his degree. They both want to look at professional career after that.