The current pandemic may have put a damper on Angelina College athletics programs for the next full academic season, but supporters are already gearing up and preparing for the teams’ returns in the fall of 2021.
The 13th annual Guy Davis Golf Tournament will take place on Saturday, August 15 at Crown Colony Country Club in Lufkin, and organizers are inviting the public to participate as players or sponsors in what has become one of the largest annual tournaments in the area.
Hosted by the Roadrunner Foundation, the golf tournament generates funds for Angelina College Athletics programs. Funds raised help AC teams with various expenses such as travel and equipment in order to keep the various programs competing for conference and national titles.
In a coronavirus-shortened 2019-2020 season, AC saw both its soccer teams qualify for the post-season – with the men’s squad earning the program’s first-ever playoff win. In March, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams also competed in their respective conference tournaments, with the Roadrunner men capturing the conference title and punching a ticket to the national tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas for the first time since 1998. The tournament was canceled because of the pandemic.
“We’re preparing for next year ahead of time,” Foundation president Wes Welch said. “We’re all disappointed that we won’t see our teams in action this year, but that’s not going to slow our efforts for the next season.
“The money raised at this tournament is for AC Athletics. When we get back in 2021, we’re going to be ready to go and ready to support.”
Tournament organizers are currently seeking teams and hole sponsors for the five-man scramble format, scheduled for shotgun starts of 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Hole games and prizes include hole-in-one, longest-drive, and closest-to-the-pin contests, with prizes for each of those events.
A welcome party for the tournament is set for 6:30 p.m. on Friday, August 14, also at Crown Colony, with various raffles and a silent auction featuring various sports collectibles and other valuable items. The tournament and the dinner’s settings will adhere to current COVID-19 safety guidelines.
“With current events the way they are, we’ll practice social distancing, and the welcome party on Friday night will take place outside around the putting green and patio at Crown Colony,” Welch said.
Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Current sponsors for this year’s event include presenting sponsor Southside Bank, Lufkin Coca Cola, Strata Roofing, Lufkin Printing Company, Loving Auto Group, America State Bank, Dedicated Orthopedic Center of East Texas, Carroway Funeral Home, Angelina Excavating/Joe McCleskey, Security & Guaranty Abstract Company, Etch, Inc., Integra Insurance Services, Goodwin Lasiter Strong, Renfro Sausages, East Texas Powersports and BancorpSouth.
A registration form and information flier are located on the Angelina College Athletics web site at angelinaathletics.com.
For more information, contact Wes Welch at 214-908-0867 or email at wes.welch@hotmail.com; or contact Mark Wiedenfeld (936) 414-9462.
The e-mail address for Angelina College’s Sports Information Director is gstallard@angelina.edu