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PRESS RELEASE: Golf Club at North Carolina State University Wins 2025 PGA National Collegiate Club Golf Spring Championship

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Golf Club at North Carolina State University claimed its second national title today in a wire-to-wire finish at the 2025 PGA National Collegiate Club Golf Association

Published

1 year ago

April 28, 2025

Oakland Post

HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Fla. (April 27, 2025) – Golf Club at North Carolina State University claimed its second national title today in a wire-to-wire finish at the 2025 PGA National Collegiate Club Golf Association (NCCGA) Spring Championship at Mission Resort + Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida. The club previously won the title at the 2022 Spring Championship. “We were leading after Round 1 and feeling pretty stressed out overnight, but I’m glad we all came through and played well on Sunday and got it done at the end,” said Travis Moore, Golf Club at North Carolina State Club President. The players’ bond, Moore said, made the difference and helped the team bring home their first national title in three years. “We’ve got people who’ve played three or four years of club golf together, so we really know each other really well,” he said. “We keep each other in it when we pass each other on a hole. It’s amazing being friends with seven guys and being able to do something like this. It’s awesome.”

North Carolina State built on a +1 (356) Round 1 lead to finish +24 (739, 356-383). Reigning champion Grand Canyon University finished second (+31, 746, 372-374), seven strokes behind North Carolina State. Texas A&M Golf Club (+32, 747, 365-382) finished third, followed by Keiser University with a +37 (752, 369-383) in fourth. The University of Massachusetts Amherst Golf Club rounded out the top five with a +39 (754, 380-374). With a two-day score of -2 (141,69-72), Ajay Patel of the University of Florida took home the individual medalist honors. Four players tied for second, rounding out the top five and comprising the All-Tournament Team: Ethan Laake of the University of Cincinnati (+1, 144, 74-40); Ian Gillis from Keiser University (+1, 144, 75-69); UMass Amherst Golf Club’s Chris Pickering (+1, 144, 75-69); and Gage Foddrell, an individual player representing Parker University (+1, 144, 73-71). Patel thanked his team for making his medalist honors possible. “So, we didn’t play very well in the first round, and we got a very early tee time,” he said. “But we got some good conditions, and it just helped me to play better today. “I just found the stretch and made some birdies,” Patel continued. “I had a little struggle on Hole No. 17, but I played well at the end.”

Club golf teams competed in their respective regions throughout the spring semester to advance to the Championship. Teams and individual players qualified by:

Three (3) automatic qualifiers from each of the five zones across the country
Highest-ranked teams not included in one of the automatic qualifiers
Defending champions from the previous Fall and Spring Championships and Fall Invitational
Other exemptions as identified by the NCCGA team
Top Individual students (who were not on a competing team).

2025 PGA NCCGA Spring Championship All-Tournament Team

Awarded to the Top 5 individual finishers, including ties:

Ajay Patel, University of Florida
Ethan Laake of the University of Cincinnati
Ian Gillis from Keiser University
Chris Pickering, UMass Amherst Golf Club
Gage Foddrell Parker University

2025 PGA NCCGA Spring Champions

Golf Club at North Carolina State University

Club President: Travis Moore

Cayden Bryner
Andrew Byrd
Chase Finch
Josiah Linton
Jackson Maze
Paul McClean
Travis Moore
Will Farrell

About the PGA National Collegiate Club Golf Association (NCCGA)

The PGA NCCGA is the national governing body of collegiate club golf and is operated by the PGA of America. With more than 400 schools and 5,000 members, the NCCGA makes college golf a reality for any student. For more information about the PGA NCCGA, visit NCCGA.org and follow on Instagram.

About Mission Hills Resort + Club

Mission Resort + Club is located in the rolling hills of Central Florida’s Lake County in the town of Howey-in-the-Hills, 35 minutes northwest of Orlando. The destination resort features 176 graciously appointed, newly updated guestrooms, suites and villas, two championship golf courses, four restaurants, two lounges, and a poolside bar. Recreational amenities include eight tennis courts, jogging and bicycling trails, volleyball courts, outdoor pool and hydro-spa, fitness center, fishing, and powerboat and eco-touring. The 6,200-square-foot Spa features a thoughtful menu of treatments and services. More than 30,000 square feet of well-appointed indoor and outdoor event space is available for meetings, corporate retreats, weddings, and other special occasions. For more information and bookings visit http://www.missionresortandclub.com or call (352) 324-3101. Follow along via Facebook and Instagram for the latest news.

About the PGA of America

The PGA of America is one of the world’s largest sports organizations, composed of more than 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals who love the game, are expert coaches, operators, and business leaders, and work daily to drive interest, inclusion, and participation in the sport. The PGA of America owns and operates numerous championships and events, including major championships for men, women, and seniors, and the Ryder Cup, one of the world’s foremost sporting events. For more information, visit PGA.com and follow us on X, Instagram and Facebook.

Media Contacts

Mandy Crow, Alday PR, mandy@aldypr.com

Alan Cox, PGA of America, acox@pgahq.com

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State of Preschool Yearbook Provides an Annual Snapshot of State-Funded Preschool

By National Institute for Early Education Research Georgia’s state-funded pre-k program for 4-year-olds was recognized as the largest state-funded preschool program in the nation to meet all 10 quality benchmarks, and the first universal program to do so. Georgia’s recognition is the top finding in the National Institute for Early Education Research’s new 2025 State of Preschool Yearbook. The yearbook provides an annual snapshot of state-funded preschool across the country. Forty-four states and the District of Columbia fund preschool programs. “Georgia is proud to be a leader in quality early childhood education as we work to ensure all Georgians have the opportunity to succeed, including our youngest learners,” said Georgia Governor Brian P. Kemp. “Having strategically invested in our Pre-K classrooms, we are both meeting all 10 NIEER benchmarks of excellence and giving Georgia students a […]

Published

4 days ago

April 27, 2026

Oakland Post

By National Institute for Early Education Research

Georgia’s state-funded pre-k program for 4-year-olds was recognized as the largest state-funded preschool program in the nation to meet all 10 quality benchmarks, and the first universal program to do so. Georgia’s recognition is the top finding in the National Institute for Early Education Research’s new 2025 State of Preschool Yearbook. The yearbook provides an annual snapshot of state-funded preschool across the country. Forty-four states and the District of Columbia fund preschool programs.

“Georgia is proud to be a leader in quality early childhood education as we work to ensure all Georgians have the opportunity to succeed, including our youngest learners,” said Georgia Governor Brian P. Kemp. “Having strategically invested in our Pre-K classrooms, we are both meeting all 10 NIEER benchmarks of excellence and giving Georgia students a strong start on the path of lifelong learning.”

Only five additional states meet all 10 of NIEER’s research-based benchmarks for quality —Alabama, Hawaii, Michigan, Mississippi, and Rhode Island—in this year’s report. None of those programs has the reach of Georgia Pre-K. NIEER’s benchmarks measure essential preschool quality indicators, including teacher qualifications, class sizes, early learning standards, and program assessments.

“Other states should take note: Georgia proves that state-funded preschool with well-qualified teachers, pay parity with K-12, small classes, and strong continuous improvement systems can be scaled as a universal program,” said NIEER director Steve Barnett. “With new initiatives to support quality, Georgia can expect increased enrollment, but leaders should also actively promote increased enrollment.”

Nationally, state support for preschool education hit record highs in enrollment and funding in 2024-2025. The pace of growth slowed, however, compared to the prior year, and many states continue to lag behind pre-pandemic enrollment levels.

Preschool enrollment increased by 44,000 children nationally, reaching almost 1.8 million, including 37% of U.S. four-year-olds and 9% of three-year-olds. California, Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, and Missouri contributed the most to increased enrollment, adding more than 52,000 new seats.

States spent nearly $14.4 billion on preschool in 2024-2025. Including federal and local dollars, total spending was almost $17.7 billion. Three states each spent more than $1 billion last year: California ($4.1 billion), New Jersey ($1.2 billion), and New York ($1 billion). Together, these three states account for45% of all state preschool spending. Texas adds almost another $1 billion.

Spending increased by $434 million, or 3%, adjusted for inflation. Twenty-eight states increased preschool funding, including Michigan and New Jersey, which each added more than $100 million.

“Not only does preschool access vary by which state a child happens to live in, but so does the quality of that preschool experience,” said Allison Friedman-Krauss, lead author of the report. “Only high-quality early care and education programs support children’s development enough to result in lasting academic and other gains that ultimately deliver savings for taxpayers.”

A record six states met all 10 of NIEER’s recommended quality standards, with Alabama doing so for the 20th consecutive year.

Georgia joined this list this year after improving its teacher-to-child ratio from 1:11 to 1:10 and lowering maximum class sizes to 20. Several states met 9 of 10 benchmarks, including New Mexico, which is working toward universal access for both three- and four-year-olds. Once New Mexico requires all lead teachers to have a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, it will be on par with Georgia in terms of both quality and quantity.

Not all states moved forward. Twenty states enrolled fewer preschoolers in 2024-2025 than the prior year, with enrollment dropping by more than 1,000 children in Arizona, Florida, NewYork, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin. Seventeen states spent less on preschool than the prior year, adjusted for inflation, with Arizona, North Carolina, Oregon, and Texas seeing the largest percentage declines.

Additional information about the State of Preschool Yearbook, including individual state profiles and maps, graphs, and state rankings, can be found at www.nieer.org.

The 2025 State of Preschool Yearbook was supported with funding from the Heising-Simons Foundation and the Gates Foundation.

The National Institute for Early Education Research at theRutgers Graduate School of Education, New Brunswick, NJ, supports early childhood education policy and practice through independent, objective research and the translation of research to policy and practice

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