THREE IN-STATE STANDOUTS JOIN UT MARTIN GOLF PROGRAM DURING NATIONAL SIGNING WEEK
11/14/2019 2:05:00 PM | Golf
MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin golf program has added a trio of elite recruits as Ethan Ray, Jackson Twerdahl and Jonathan Xoinis have inked National Letters of Intent to become Skyhawks in 2020-21.
UT Martin head coach Jerry Carpenter and assistant coach Austin Swafford tirelessly scoured the recruiting trail and added three high-impact freshmen to a program that is established as one of the best in the Ohio Valley Conference.
"I could not be more excited to have these three young men join the Skyhawk family," said Swafford, who will take over head coaching duties following Carpenter's retirement at the end of the 2019-20 season. "They've had success on the course and their results speak to that. The impressive thing is that they are even better people with great character. Combined with their golf skills, that will make them highly successful on and off the course."
Ray is from Collierville, Tenn. and was voted Male Golfer of the Year by the Daily Memphian and finished the 2018 season ranked 197th overall and 42nd for the Class of 2020 in the GolfWeek/Sagarin Junior rankings. His illustrious junior career included multiple wins on all four regional tours in the mid-South (Sneds, Hurricane, USJGT and GolfWeek Junior). He played in the World Juniors at Torrey Pines at age 12 and also played in the Optimist International at PGA National at age 10. In addition, he placed in the top-10 at prestigious AJGA events like the David Toms Invitational (second) and the Jim Bell Memorial at Bay Hill in Orlando, Fla. (10th).
Earning first team all-state accolades under head coach Michael Kent at Collierville High School, Ray qualified for the TSSAA state tournament all four years as an individual with his best finish coming in 2017 (fourth, 72-68). Ray's senior year consisted of seven wins and five runner-up finishes out of the team's 12 tournaments. He placed fourth at the 2017 TSSAA state championship as a sophomore (72-68) – becoming the only non-senior finisher in the top-10.
Hailing from Nolensville, Tenn. is Twerdahl, who chalked up seven top-five tournament finishes from March 30 through Aug. 25, 2019. Those included a win at the Belle Meade Junior Invitational (74-67), second-place efforts in the Sneds Tour Masters 2 Day at Vanderbilt Legends (72-73) and in the Sneds Tour Masters 2 Day at old Fort (71-74), third-place finishes in both the Craig Rudolph Memorial (76-74) and the Sneds Tour 2 Day Masters at Westhaven (70-76), a fourth-place effort in the Sneds Tour Open at Three Ridges (73-73) and a fifth-place finish at the Sneds Tour Open at WillowBrook (75-82).
Playing under head coach Johnny Bridgeman, Twerdahl put together an impressive resume at Nolensville High School. He won the Tennessee Elite Invitational (69) in 2019, a year after he finished second in the same tournament. He also won the Murfreesboro Invitational in 2018 with a final score of 68. He won the Sneds Masters 1 Day at The Grove (71) and the Sneds 2-Day Masters at Old Natchez (72-68) in 2018. This past June, he finished second at the Tennessee Junior Amateur Qualifier with a 73. He also took part in the 2019 Tennessee Junior Cup alongside fellow Skyhawk signee Xoinis, as this year's event was played at The Grove.
Xoinis comes to UT Martin out of Chattanooga, Tenn., where he has enjoyed a stellar prep career at Chattanooga Christian High School. Playing under head coach Wes Moore, Xoinis was the 2019 TSSAA state runner-up (71-70) after placing fifth in the 2018 TSSAA state championship (74-76). He was third on the 2019 Tennessee Player of the Year points list and was also the CDGA Junior Tour overall points leader in 2018. As previously mentioned, he played in the 2019 Tennessee Junior Cup event at The Grove alongside fellow UT Martin signee Twerdahl.
In 54 tournaments over a two-year span (2018-19), Xoinis earned nine medalist victories, 21 top-5's and seven more top-10's finishes. That includes wins at the 2019 Sneds Tour Open at Harpeth Hills (74-72), the 2018 Hurricane JGT Chattanooga Junior Open (72-73), the 2018 HJGT Willowbrook Junior Shootout (70-72), the 2018 HJGT 54-hole Challenge at Greystone (73-69-69), the 2018 Sneds Tour Open Series at Ruggles Ferry (78-71) and the 2018 Southern States Junior Classic Spring Fever (74-70). He won the 2018 Jim Phifer Golfer of the Year Award and shot a personal best 65 (with a 28 on the back-nine) at Bear Trace at Harrison Bay, Tennessee. He also claimed the Chattanooga City Prep championship in both 2018 and 2019, besting the top amateurs in the Chattanooga area.
These three will join a Skyhawk program that closed out the fall 2019 schedule with four consecutive tournament victories. UT Martin tied for the best scoring average (283.7) in the Ohio Valley Conference and boasted both OVC Golfers of the Month and three OVC Golfers of the Week during the fall campaign.
UT Martin head coach Jerry Carpenter and assistant coach Austin Swafford tirelessly scoured the recruiting trail and added three high-impact freshmen to a program that is established as one of the best in the Ohio Valley Conference.
"I could not be more excited to have these three young men join the Skyhawk family," said Swafford, who will take over head coaching duties following Carpenter's retirement at the end of the 2019-20 season. "They've had success on the course and their results speak to that. The impressive thing is that they are even better people with great character. Combined with their golf skills, that will make them highly successful on and off the course."
Ray is from Collierville, Tenn. and was voted Male Golfer of the Year by the Daily Memphian and finished the 2018 season ranked 197th overall and 42nd for the Class of 2020 in the GolfWeek/Sagarin Junior rankings. His illustrious junior career included multiple wins on all four regional tours in the mid-South (Sneds, Hurricane, USJGT and GolfWeek Junior). He played in the World Juniors at Torrey Pines at age 12 and also played in the Optimist International at PGA National at age 10. In addition, he placed in the top-10 at prestigious AJGA events like the David Toms Invitational (second) and the Jim Bell Memorial at Bay Hill in Orlando, Fla. (10th).
Earning first team all-state accolades under head coach Michael Kent at Collierville High School, Ray qualified for the TSSAA state tournament all four years as an individual with his best finish coming in 2017 (fourth, 72-68). Ray's senior year consisted of seven wins and five runner-up finishes out of the team's 12 tournaments. He placed fourth at the 2017 TSSAA state championship as a sophomore (72-68) – becoming the only non-senior finisher in the top-10.
Hailing from Nolensville, Tenn. is Twerdahl, who chalked up seven top-five tournament finishes from March 30 through Aug. 25, 2019. Those included a win at the Belle Meade Junior Invitational (74-67), second-place efforts in the Sneds Tour Masters 2 Day at Vanderbilt Legends (72-73) and in the Sneds Tour Masters 2 Day at old Fort (71-74), third-place finishes in both the Craig Rudolph Memorial (76-74) and the Sneds Tour 2 Day Masters at Westhaven (70-76), a fourth-place effort in the Sneds Tour Open at Three Ridges (73-73) and a fifth-place finish at the Sneds Tour Open at WillowBrook (75-82).
Playing under head coach Johnny Bridgeman, Twerdahl put together an impressive resume at Nolensville High School. He won the Tennessee Elite Invitational (69) in 2019, a year after he finished second in the same tournament. He also won the Murfreesboro Invitational in 2018 with a final score of 68. He won the Sneds Masters 1 Day at The Grove (71) and the Sneds 2-Day Masters at Old Natchez (72-68) in 2018. This past June, he finished second at the Tennessee Junior Amateur Qualifier with a 73. He also took part in the 2019 Tennessee Junior Cup alongside fellow Skyhawk signee Xoinis, as this year's event was played at The Grove.
Xoinis comes to UT Martin out of Chattanooga, Tenn., where he has enjoyed a stellar prep career at Chattanooga Christian High School. Playing under head coach Wes Moore, Xoinis was the 2019 TSSAA state runner-up (71-70) after placing fifth in the 2018 TSSAA state championship (74-76). He was third on the 2019 Tennessee Player of the Year points list and was also the CDGA Junior Tour overall points leader in 2018. As previously mentioned, he played in the 2019 Tennessee Junior Cup event at The Grove alongside fellow UT Martin signee Twerdahl.
In 54 tournaments over a two-year span (2018-19), Xoinis earned nine medalist victories, 21 top-5's and seven more top-10's finishes. That includes wins at the 2019 Sneds Tour Open at Harpeth Hills (74-72), the 2018 Hurricane JGT Chattanooga Junior Open (72-73), the 2018 HJGT Willowbrook Junior Shootout (70-72), the 2018 HJGT 54-hole Challenge at Greystone (73-69-69), the 2018 Sneds Tour Open Series at Ruggles Ferry (78-71) and the 2018 Southern States Junior Classic Spring Fever (74-70). He won the 2018 Jim Phifer Golfer of the Year Award and shot a personal best 65 (with a 28 on the back-nine) at Bear Trace at Harrison Bay, Tennessee. He also claimed the Chattanooga City Prep championship in both 2018 and 2019, besting the top amateurs in the Chattanooga area.
These three will join a Skyhawk program that closed out the fall 2019 schedule with four consecutive tournament victories. UT Martin tied for the best scoring average (283.7) in the Ohio Valley Conference and boasted both OVC Golfers of the Month and three OVC Golfers of the Week during the fall campaign.
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Tuesday, February 24
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Friday, January 23