GOLF ROYALTY T
Methodist’s Monarchs earn degrees and bragging rights | By Khary McGee
he trophy that the National Collegiate Athletic Association hands its National Champion in a particular sport each year isn’t particularly ornate. It’s mostly wood, and its shiniest parts — if you even consider them shiny — are a subtle gold and not all that distinguishable from
the silver and bronze-adorned trophies the organization gives second and third-place finishers. But in collegiate athletics, the National Championship trophy,
awarded to just 87 teams in their respective NCAA sports, is the most coveted prize of them all. Some college programs have turned collecting National Championship trophies into a yearly rite of passage, an exercise
that’s more force of habit than the close-your-eyes-and-wish fantasy. It just so happens that two of those programs are right here in Fayetteville. Without nearly the fanfare and media hype that typically surrounds National Champions, the Methodist University men’s and women’s golf teams have together won an astounding 33 national titles since 1986. The Methodist women, owners of 23 of those National Championships, have won the crown 13 consecutive times. In the last 25 years, all but two National Championship trophies have come back to Fayetteville with the Lady Monarchs. The Methodist men, the current defending National Champions, have been as dominant over the last two decades.
CityViewNC.com | 47
