Ethan Hagood and Michaela Morard: 2017 AGA Junior Players of the Year

 

HOOVER, AL – The Alabama Golf Association (AGA) has announced the inaugural Alabama All-State Junior Golf Teams for 2017. This is the first year of the awards presented by the Alabama Golf Association. 

All-State teams are awarded based on the Alabama State Junior Golf Rankings System, which awards points per event based on the number of participants in the event combined with the overall strength of field.  These tournaments must also meet additional requirements to be a sanctioned rankings event.  Teams are annually based off player performance over the past 12 months from September 1 thru August 31. 

All-State team members, the Junior Boys Player of the Year and the Junior Girls Player of the Year winners will be honored along with other Alabama State Players of the Year at the annual Alabama Golf Association awards banquet in early 2018.  

2017 Alabama Boys All-State Teams

Boys First Team:

Ethan Hagood, 2018, of Birmingham is a rising high school senior at Spain Park High School.  Champion at 2017 SGA Southern Junior Amateur Championship by birdieing his last 5 holes, including all 3 playoff holes.  Finished 3^rd at the AGA Alabama State Junior Championship, and won multiple SJGT events.  Hagood was a member of the champion Team Alabama at this year’s Southern Junior Cup in Oxford, MS. 1^st ranked male junior golfer in Alabama for 2017 and the 2017 Alabama Golf Association-Alabama State Junior Male Player of the Year.  Currently committed to play golf for the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

JP Cave, 2020, of Mobile is a rising high school sophomore at UMS-Wright Preparatory School.  Champion at 2017 AHSAA 4A championship, 2^nd at AGA Alabama Boys State Junior Championship, T5 at the Southern Junior Championship and qualified for the AGA Alabama Men’s State Amateur Championship.  Cave was a member of the champion Team Alabama at this year’s Southern Junior Cup in Oxford, MS. 2^nd ranked male junior golfer in Alabama for 2017.  Currently committed to play golf for the University of Alabama.  

Austin Coggin, 2019, of Vestavia Hills is a rising high school junior at Vestavia Hills High School.  T4 at the 2017 AGA Alabama Boys State Junior Championship, T5 at AHSAA 7A championship, runner-up at AGA Alabama State Four-Ball, and T5 at the SGA Southern Junior Amateur Championship.  Coggin was a member of the champion Team Alabama at this year’s Southern Junior Cup in Oxford, MS.  3^rd ranked male junior golfer in Alabama for 2017.  Currently committed to play golf for the Auburn University. 

Turk Pettit, 2017, of Auburn will be a freshman at Clemson University in Clemson, SC.  Champion at 2017 AISA championship, 2^nd at AGA Alabama Men’s State Amateur Championship, 3^rd at 2017 Future Masters, and made the Round of 64 at both the USGA U.S. Junior and U.S. Amateur Championships.  4^th ranked male junior golfer in Alabama for 2017. 

Padraic Sim, 2018, of Spanish Fort is a rising senior at Spanish Fort High School.  Champion at 2017 AGA Alabama Boys State Junior Championship in comeback fashion by posting a final round 64 and has multiple top-5 finishes in SJGT and AJGA events.  Sim was a member of the champion Team Alabama at this year’s Southern Junior Cup in Oxford, MS.  5^th ranked male junior golfer in Alabama for 2017.  Currently committed to play golf for the University of Washington.

Boys Second Team:

Connor Reid, 2018, of Opelika is a rising high school senior at Lee-Scott Academy.  T2 at 2017 AISA championship, T4 at the AGA Alabama Boys State Junior Championship, Semifinalist at the AGA Alabama Men’s State Match Play, and T25 at the SGA Southern Junior Amateur Championship.  6^th ranked male junior golfer in Alabama for 2017.  Currently committed to play golf for Samford University.

Connor Newton, 2018, of Auburn is a rising high school senior at Auburn High School.  T2 at 2017 AHSAA 7A championship, qualified for the AGA Alabama Men’s State Amateur Championship, and multiple top-5 finishes at SJGT events.  Newton was a member of the champion Team Alabama at this year’s Southern Junior Cup in Oxford, MS.  9^th ranked junior golfer in Alabama for 2017. 

Thomas Ponder, 2019, of Dothan is a rising junior at Providence Christian School.  Champion at 2017 AHSAA 3A championship and the 2017 Future Masters.  Also qualified for the 2017 USGA U.S. Junior Championship in Andover, KS.  8^th ranked junior golfer in Alabama for 2017.  Currently committed to play golf for the University of Alabama.

Ryan Eshleman, 2020, of Vestavia Hills is a rising high school sophomore at Vestavia Hills High School.  T2 at AHSAA Championship, T10 at the Future Masters, qualified for the AGA Alabama Men’s State Amateur Championship and multiple top-5 finishes at SJGT events.  9^th ranked junior golfer in Alabama for 2017.  Currently committed to play golf at Auburn University.

John Hilliard Catanzaro, 2017, of Gadsden will be a freshman at the University of Georgia, where he will be a member of the men’s golf team.  Champion at 2017 AHSAA 1A-2A championship, T4 at Future Masters, and made the round of 64 at the 2017 USGA US Amateur Championship.  10^th ranked junior golfer in Alabama for 2017. 

Boys Third Team:

Andrew Graves, 2018, of Mobile is a rising senior at UMS-Wright Preparatory School.  2^nd at 2017 AHSAA 4A championship, T4 at AGA Alabama Boys State Junior Championship, and qualified for the AGA Alabama Men’s State Amateur Championship.  11^th ranked junior golfer in Alabama for 2017.

Ike Alexander, 2017, of Florence will be a freshman at Troy University, where he will be a member of the men’s golf team.  T3 at 2017 AHSAA 1A-2A championship, T6 at the AL-NW Florida PGA Alabama Open, and qualified for the AGA Alabama Men’s State Amateur Championship.  T12^th ranked junior golfer in Alabama for 2017.   

Ford Clegg, 2018, of Mountain Brook is a rising high school senior at Mountain Brook High School.  Champion at 2017 AHSAA 7A championship, T12 at the AGA Alabama Boys State Junior Championship, T18 at the Future Masters, and made the cut in both the AGA Alabama Men’s State Amateur and SGA Southern Junior Championship.  T12^th ranked junior golfer in Alabama for 2017.

Nicholas Dunlap, 2022, of Birmingham is a rising 8^th grader at Berry Middle School.  Finished T11 at the AGA Alabama Men’s State Amateur Championship, becoming one of the youngest players in state history to finish that high.  Dunlap also finished 8^th at the AGA Alabama Boys State Junior, and multiple top-5 finishes at SJGA events.  14^th ranked junior golfer in Alabama for 2017. 

John Racciatti Jr., 2017, of Fairhope will be a freshman at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, where he will play on the men’s golf team.  T2 at 2017 AHSAA 7A championship, T19 at the AGA Alabama State Junior Championship, and T18 at the AGA Alabama Men’s State Amateur Championship.  15^th ranked junior golfer in Alabama for 2017. 

2017 Alabama Girls All-State Teams

Girls First Team:

Michaela Morard, 2020, of Huntsville is a rising high school sophomore at Randolph School.  She is the 2017 AGA Girls State Junior Champion, finished T3 at the Junior PGA Championship, and made the Round of 64 at both the U.S. Girls’ Junior and U.S. Women’s Amateur.  She was a member of the champion Team Alabama at this year’s Southern Junior Cup in Oxford, MS.  1^st ranked female junior golfer in Alabama for 2017 and the 2017 Alabama Golf Association-Alabama State Junior Female Player of the Year.  Morard is currently committed to play golf at the University of Alabama and will also represent Alabama at this year’s USGA State Team, which will be her 3^rd USGA event in 2017.

Sophie Burks, 2017, of Montgomery will be a freshman at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN, where she will be a member of the women’s golf team.  Champion at 2017 AHSAA 4A/5A championship and 2017 Alabama Women’s State Four-Ball along with teammate Mary Katherine Horton. Burks was a member of the champion Team Alabama at this year’s Southern Junior Cup in Oxford, MS.  2^nd ranked female junior golfer in Alabama for 2017. 

Virginia Green, 2017, of Fairhope will be a freshman at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, where she will be a member of the women’s golf team.  Champion at 2017 AHSAA 7A championship, shattering the state scoring record with back-to-back rounds of 66.  She finished T11 at the Junior PGA Championship and advanced to match play at the U.S. Girls Junior.  3^rd ranked female golfer in Alabama for 2017. 

Brooke Sansom, 2018, of Pike Road is a rising high school senior at Park Crossing.  Champion at 2017 AHSAA 6A championship, winner of multiple SJGT events, and qualified for the 2017 Junior PGA Championship.  4^th ranked female golfer in Alabama for 2017.  Sansom is currently committed to play golf at the University of Auburn. 

Jordan Susce, 2017, of Birmingham will be a freshman at the University of Louisville in Louisville, KY, where she will be a member of the women’s golf team.  Finished 3^rd at the 2017 AHSAA 7A championship, made the quarterfinals at the AGA Alabama Women’s State Amateur, and T6 at the AGA Alabama Women’s State Stroke Play.  Susce was a member of the champion Team Alabama at this year’s Southern Junior Cup in Oxford, MS.  5^th ranked female junior golfer in Alabama for 2017.

Girls Second Team:

Ally Williams, 2019, of Athens is a rising junior at Athens High School.  Finished 2^nd at the 2017 AHSAA 6A championship, 2^nd at AGA Alabama State Junior Championship, advanced to the Round of 16 at AGA Alabama Women’s State Amateur and qualified for the U.S. Junior Championship.  Williams was a member of the champion Team Alabama at this year’s Southern Junior Cup in Oxford, MS.  6^th ranked female junior golfer in Alabama for 2017.

Anna Claire Little, 2018, of Auburn is a rising senior at Auburn High School.  Qualified for the 2017 AHSAA 7A championships, champion at 2017 AL-NW Florida PGA Junior Tour Championship, and multiple top-5 finishes at SJGT events.  7^th ranked female junior golfer in Alabama for 2017. Little is currently committed to play golf at Troy University.

Stephenie Fowler, 2017, of Tuscaloosa will be a freshman at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, where she will be a member of the women’s golf team.  Champion at 2017 AHSAA 1A-3A championship, 5^th at the AGA Alabama Girls State Junior Championship, and won an SJGT event.  8^th ranked female junior golfer in Alabama for 2017. 

Allison Howard, 2019, of Newton is a rising high school junior at Providence Christian School. 2^nd at 2017 AHSAA 1A-3A championship and multiple top-5 finishes at SJGT events.  9^th ranked female junior golfer in Alabama for 2017.

Mary Katherine Horton, 2017, of Birmingham will be a freshman at Samford University, where she will be a member of the women’s golf team.  2017 Alabama Women’s State Four-Ball champion along with teammate Sophie Burks, 5^th at the 2017 AHSAA 7A championship, and multiple top-5 finishes at SJGT events.  10^th ranked female golfer in Alabama for 2017.    

Girls Third Team:

Karlee Allen, 2019, of Berry is a rising junior at Northside High School.  3^rd at 2017 AHSAA 4A-5A championship, 4^th at AGA Alabama Girls State Junior Championship, and 8^th at AGA Alabama Women’s State Stroke Play.  Allen was a member of the champion Team Alabama at this year’s Southern Junior Cup in Oxford, MS.  11^th ranked female junior golfer in Alabama for 2017. 

Mychael O’ Berry, 2017, of Hoover will be a freshman at Auburn University, where she will be a member of the women’s golf team.  T5 at 2017 AHSAA 6A championship and multiple top-5 finishes at SJGT events.  O’Berry was a member of the champion Team Alabama at this year’s Southern Junior Cup in Oxford, MS.  12^th ranked female junior golfer in Alabama for 2017. 

Carson McKie, 2018, of Hoover is a rising senior at Hoover High School.  6^th at AGA Alabama Girls State Junior Championship, T10 at AGA Alabama Women’s Stroke Play Championship and 11^th at AHSAA 7A championship.  13^th ranked female junior golfer in Alabama for 2017. 

Julie Baker, 2017, of Hoover will be a freshman at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, where she will be a member of the women’s golf team.  2^nd at AHSAA 7A championship and made the Round of 16 at the 2017 AGA Alabama Women’s State Amateur Championship.  14^th ranked female junior golfer in Alabama for 2017. 

Sarah Utley, 2020, of Hampton Cove is a rising sophomore at Huntsville High School.  T9 at the AGA Alabama Girls State Junior Championship and multiple HJGT wins.  15^th ranked female junior golfer in Alabama for 2017. 

 

About the Alabama Golf Association (AGA) The Alabama Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization founded in 1915 whose mission is to serve and promote amateur golf in Alabama. AGA membership consists of over 130 member clubs represented by nearly 18,500 individuals. The activities and services of the Alabama Golf Association are governed by a Board of Directors consisting of Alabama golfers who wish to serve the game and the association through service. AGA is the USGA's liaison for golf in Alabama conducting national championship qualifying, administering the USGA Handicap system including the GHIN Handicap service, course & slope rating and education. The AGA annually conducts 12 championships and team match competitions for men, women, juniors, and seniors. The AGA also conducts Alabama high school golf championships and assists with many collegiate events including the SEC Men's Golf Championship. In addition to competitions, the AGA administers the AGA Women's Scholarship Fund that is dedicated to assisting young female golfers in higher education and supports the Alabama Turfgrass Research Foundation. Since 1980, the AGA has managed the affairs of the Southern Golf Association which includes conducting the Southern Amateur Championship and Southern Junior Championship, in conjunction with the Board of Directors of the Southern Golf Association. For more information about the Alabama Golf Association, visit www.alabamagolf.org.