COMMUNITY JOURNALISM: Jacobi, Eagles ready for NJCAA golf tournament

Mitch Jacobi's first fall with the Kirkwood men's golf team was “OK,” according to Eagles Coach Darin Pint.

“The courses were slightly different than he was used to, and it took time for him to adjust,” Pint said.

But hard work during the winter is paid dividends and Jacobi quickly became one of the top players on the team.

“We're looking for great things from him,” Pint said.

The Eagles recently won their eighth NJCAA regional title in the past nine years, scoring a two-day total of 570 strokes at the Fort Dodge Country Club.

That qualified Kirkwood for the NJCAA Division II national tournament, which begins a four-day run Tuesday in Plymouth, Ind.

Jacobi, a Kirkwood freshman from Belle Plaine, led the team at regionals, shooting rounds of 71 and 74 and earning medalist honors.

Freshman Marcus Giltner of Batavia was second at 148 (74-74) and Sean Cleary of Tipperary, Ireland, tied for fourth, scoring a 149 (72-77). Dalton Stevens, a former Cedar Rapids Jefferson prep, shot a 150 (72-78) and Kirby Brown of West Des Moines a 154 (78-76).

Stevens and Brown qualified for the nationals last season on their own.

Pint said the Eagles are “really deep” this season.

“All are great competitors,” he said. “Consistency is one of our strengths.”

The Eagles were 73-12 this season, but all that matters is what happens this week in Indiana.

“Nothing is more important,” he said. “We are up for the challenge.”