ADA – The East Central University men's and women's golf teams are headed to the 2016 Great American Conference Championships, April 24-26 at Hot Springs Country Club in Hot Springs, Ark.

The men's team will be represented by two seniors, two juniors and a sophomore, while the women's team will take two seniors, two juniors and a sophomore.

This is the third-straight season that the event will be held at Hot Springs Country Club, with the men's team finishing ninth a year ago and the women fourth.

All five member of the men's group have played at the tournament at least once in the past three seasons, with senior Jason Goben leading the group with three appearances, while senior Jordan Bates and junior Blade Knox have participated twice.  Junior Justin Largent and sophomore Bryce Newton were both part of the group in 2015.

Bates is currently leading the team with a 74.9 average in 10 events during 2016.  Bates finished tied for fifth at the event in 2015 and tied for 47^th in 2014.  Goben is close behind with a 75.6 average (nine events) and finished tied for eighth in 2015, tied for 36^th in 2014 and tied for 23^rd in 2013.

Newton comes to the event with a 76.8 average (nine tournaments) and tied for 42^nd in 2015 at the GAC Championship.  Largent has played in four tournaments this season and has an 81.4 average.  Knox adds an 81.3 average in five events in 2016.  Largent played for ECU in 2015 at the GAC Championship (T51st) and Knox in both 2014 (T43rd) and 2013 (T30th).

The women's team has seen four of the five participants in 2016 play at the course at least once in the last three years.  Senior Sarah DeLong leads the list having been to the GAC Championships for the last three seasons.  She currently has an 82.1 average (eight events) and finished 20^th in 2015, tied for 22^nd in 2014 and tied for 28^th in 2013.

Junior Molli Taylor leads the team in 2016 with an 81.8 average (seven tournaments) and played for ECU at the GAC Championship in 2014 (10^th).  Sophomore Madelyn Lehr has an 81.2 average and finished tied for 17^th in 2015.
Senior Madison Myers comes into the tournament with an 86.6 average (six events) and has been to the course once, finishing 34^th in 2014.

The final member of the Tigers group in 2016 is junior Brooke Hurst, who has an 85.4 average in seven events.