Pictured, from left, are: assistant coach Jim Rissel, Athanasios Bakas, Anthony Gullo, Traden Gray, Brady Fye, Austyn Cummings, Noah Adams and head coach George Sisson. Photo courtesy of Jamestown CC Athletics

CHAUTAUQUA — After a two-and-a-half-week layoff from the NJCAA Region 3 Golf Championships, the Jamestown Community College men’s golf team will be back in action this week as they host the 2023 NJCAA Men’s & Women’s Division III Championships at Chautauqua Golf Club.

“This is what our team has worked toward all season,” said head coach George Sisson. “I believe our team has prepared themselves since regionals to go out and leave everything they have out on the course. It should be a good week of golf for us.”

The Jayhawks are led by the trio of Anthony Gullo (Jamestown/Jamestown HS), Traden Gray (Frewsburg/Frewsburg CS) and Brady Fye (Lakewood/Southwestern CS), who were named to the NJCAA Region 3 All-Region Team earlier this spring.

Jamestown CC is rounded out by Noah Adams (Mayville/Chautauqua Lake CS) and Austyn Cummings (Warren, Pa./Warren Area HS), who will both be competing to score for the team. Athanasios Bakas (North Riding, Johannesburg, South Africa/The King’s College and Preparatory School) will be on standby as the alternate and may be called upon to compete if needed.

“I have strong confidence in our players to go out and play some of their best golf of the year,” Sisson said. “They have all showed that they can play competitively and now it’s time have everyone put forth their best effort simultaneously.”

Along with the Jayhawks, there will be over 20 institutions competing comprised of 74 men’s golfers and 17 women’s golfers, up 11 from the inaugural women’s championships a year ago. On the men’s side, there are four returning All-Americans with three returning All-Americans on the women’s side.

Sandhills CC will look to become a three-peat champion on the men’s side while Oxford College of Emory University and RCSJ-Gloucester will compete against one another to become the first-ever NJCAA Women’s Division III national champion.

“This is always a great way to wrap up the academic year,” said Sisson who also serves as the tournament director. “We are the last national championship in all of NJCAA to compete so all eyes will be on Chautauqua and the golfers. This is four days, 72 holes of competitive golf and we can’t wait to see how it all unfolds.”

The teams will all compete in a practice round today, with the first round starting on Tuesday. Action will conclude on Friday.