As Livingstone College’s golf team competes for the CIAA Championship title this week, it is already a winner in one regard.

Livingstone’s golf team ranks as the No. 1 HBCU golf team in the nation among NCAA Division II teams.

“We’ve never been ranked this high,” said Livingstone Golf Coach Andre Springs. “This is the best team I’ve ever had – pound for pound. All of them are good and they are real close. They compete against each other.”

Earlier this month, the Blue Bears won the 2022 CIAA Southern Division Golf Championship. The Blue Bears finished 23 strokes over par as a team during the two-round event to finish 38 strokes ahead of second place Fayetteville State. The tourney was held at Anderson Creek Country Club in Spring Lake.

Livingstone’s Jakisa Emmanuel nailed an eagle on the 18^th hole to claim the individual medal to finish two over par (146). Emmanuel’s shot broke a tie with second-place finisher Zack Martin of Fayetteville State (+2, 146).

Emmanuel and Martin narrowly edged out Xavier Proctor of Livingstone, who finished in third place at three over par (147). Fayetteville State’s Brandon Jones (152, +8) and Livingstone’s Ronald Otile (154, +10) round out the top five finishers at the event.

The Blue Bear Golf Team have demonstrated a consistent winning spree in the conference, having won all four CIAA tournaments in which they participated. In addition, they participated in two out-of-conference events – Barton Intercollegiate and The Trojan Invitational – where they displayed phenomenal performances by finishing 5 of 10, and 6 of 11 teams, respectively.

“Our golf team’s performance shows that Livingstone College is marching forward on every side,” said Livingstone President Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins, Sr. “We are a giant waking up and flexing our muscles.”

The Southern Division teams and their respective golfers will join their Northern Division foes (Virginia Union, Elizabeth City State, Saint Augustine’s and Virginia State) to compete at the 2022 CIAA Golf Championship April 14-15 at Chicora Golf Club in Dunn, NC.

“We are the king of the south and they (Virginia Union) are the king of the north,” Springs said of VU, an HBCU in Richmond, Va., that cinched the CIAA Northern Division golf championship title. “But we’re the No. 1 HBCU team in the nation.”