The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

CAMERON Riley and his Florida A&M Rattlers men’s golf programme concluded their regular season with a conference championship, another addition to their season of milestones.

The Rattlers won the first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Golf Championship Tuesday at the Bryan Park Golf Club in Greensboro, North Carolina. They led the competition wire-to-wire and finished with a 35-over-par 755 to win the event by 19 strokes. North Carolina A&T was second at 54-over-par 774 while Howard University was third (+62) and North Carolina Central (+94) completed the field at fourth.

Individually, Riley finished in a tie for No.12 in the field with a 20-over par 200.

In round one he shot 78, followed by a tournament low in round two 40 and concluded with an 82 in round three. “We just made history for FAMU. I’m just excited for our guys, it’s truly all about them,” said FAMU head golf coach Mike Rice. “They worked extremely hard for this moment over the past three to four years and I couldn’t be any prouder of what they’ve accomplished this season.

FAMU now shifts its attention to the NCAA Selection Show on May 5 where they will learn if they have earned a spot in the 2021 Division I National Championship Field. The tournament will be hosted May 28 to June 2 at the Grayhawk Country Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. Riley’s season was highlighted in March when he won an individual title, the first of his NCAA career, and his Rattlers team took first place at the Black College Golf Coaches Association (BCGCA) Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Invitational for the second consecutive year.

This season, the Rattlers also finished sixth out of 13 teams in the Donald Ross Collegiate Classic and a third place finish in the Invitational at Savannah Harbor, hosted by William and Mary. It was the highest FAMU has ever placed in the 16-team tournament.

Most recently, FAMU finished 11th at the Old Corkscrew Invitational hosted by Florida Gulf Coast University.

“I’ve been at FAMU for five years and I can tell you that the growth we’ve had and the respect we’ve developed in that time has been a 180 degree change. It’s been crazy. Being a part of this legacy is great,” Riley previously told the Tribune. “Last year we won five tournaments in a row and we were one of the only HBCUs to do that and that is unheard of in college golf. Knowing that we are minorities and we are always competing with these PWIs (predominantly white institutions) and we are beating them, it’s special. I appreciate the coaches for helping me get to where I am. I feel honoured to be a part of it. We went from five guys on the team and struggling to compete to a team of 11 guys and winning just about every tournament.”