Backspin Volume 3, Issue 5 | Page 49

Old Waverly Invitational kicks off 2016 MGA West Point, MS- Tournament season has finally arrived. The 2016 MGA season got kicked off with our first sanctioned event of the 2016 season. The Old Waverly Invitational was a two day event with Steve Wilson (+3), Ocean Springs, winning in a tiebreaker on Sunday over Josh Seiple, Colorado. In the Senior Divison, Ed McDugle (+3), Memphis, Tennessee, edged out Robert Pannell, Greenwood, and David Allen, Starkville, in a tiebreaker after the final round. In the Super Senior Division, Don West, Columbus, shot a +5 for the tournament edging out Mike Pharr (+10) to take home the title. For complete results from all the flights from the 2016 Old Waverly Invitational, click here. NOLA First Tee announces new president The Board of Directors for The First Tee of Greater New Orleans voted unanimously at its April 19th Annual Meeting to appoint John Barranco, effective immediately, as the next president of The First Tee of Greater New Orleans. Barranco will succeed Mike Rodrigue, who completed his two year term as Board president from 2014-2016. Barranco currently serves as the senior associate commissioner for corporate partnerships for the Sun Belt Conference. Barranco came to the Sun Belt Conference from Cox Media and Cox Sports Television (CST) Network, a division of Cox Communications Louisiana, LLC, in 2013. Prior to his time with Cox, Barranco served as the associate athletic director for External Relations for the University of New Orleans Athletic Department. Barranco originally came to New Orleans as an account manager for Tulane University’s partnership with IMG College. Previously he had worked as a marketing coordinator for the University of Alabama-Birmingham Athletic Department. Barranco has achieved multiple honors and awards, while also spending time in public service. He received the Cox Winner’s Circle Award for 2010, 2011 and 2012 – which is the national award for sales consultants at Cox Communications. Barranco was Co-Chairman of the Leon V. Rosato, Sr. Memorial Golf Tournament while living in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. The tournament raised much needed funds for United Cerebral Palsy in its 10 years of existence. Since 2007, Barranco has been a member and venue captain for the FORE!Kids Foundation, which funds children’s service organizations through golf events like the PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans. A 1999 graduate of UAB, Barranco earned a B.A. in communication with an emphasis in public relations. He is married to the former Natalie Hebert and the couple has one son – Dominic. “John is a man of great integrity, with great accomplishments,” stated Mike Rodrigue, outgoing president of The First Tee. “He has been completely supportive of our mission to positively impact the lives of New Orleans’ youth over the past two years working with our Board of Directors and will provide continuity and stability as we continue to move The First Tee organization forward in Greater New Orleans over the coming two years.” To learn more about The First Tee of Greater New Orleans’ programs, visit www.thefirstteenola.org. Any youth between the ages of 5 and 18 are eligible to participate in The First Tee’s programs and needbased scholarships are available for those who qualify. 49