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Tech golf rosters grow as Brown signs four new players
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – One new name on the men’s roster
and three newcomers on the women’s roster. That’s the
payoff for Tennessee Tech golf coach Polk Brown for his efforts in
inking four new players during the recent NCAA early signing
period.
Brown announced the addition of A.J. Wilkerson from Sparta, Tenn.,
for the men’s squad, while the Golden Eagle women’s
team will bring in Haley Davidson from Chattanooga, Whitney
Robertson from Clarksville, and Lydia Triplett from Benton,
Tenn.
“I’m really excited about the future of our teams with
the addition of these four young players,” Brown said.
“They are all proven winners, they are very good students,
and they are also top-quality people. They will blend into our
program really well.”
Wilkerson, the lone newcomer for the men’s squad, is the son
of Randy and Sherry Wilkerson and will graduate next spring from
White County High School. He is a two-sport athlete for the
Warriors, playing both golf and basketball under former Golden
Eagle Eric Mitchell. An Honor student, he plans to major in
exercise science.
“We’re thrilled to have A.J. come aboard next
year,” Brown said. “He is very athletics and has very,
very strong potential to have an immediate impact on this team.
There is no doubt he will bring a strong work ethic to our program,
and I expect great things from him for years to come.”
Wilkerson is a two-time Tennessee Class 6AAA Player of the Year in
2011 and 2012, and won the District and Region 6AAA individual
medalist titles as a senior. In his two TSSAA state
tournament appearances he earned Top 25 finishes both years,
placing 24th as a sophomore and 20th as a
senior.
Haley Davidson is the daughter of Ron and Christi Davidson of
Chattanooga, and has played four seasons for coaches Wes Moore and
Rodney Mitchell at Signal Mountain High School. She plans to study
exercise science.
A four-time Chattanooga Times-Free Press Best of Preps selection,
Davidson led her team to four consecutive A-AA TSSAA state
championships, after sweeping the district and regional titles all
four years.
In her four state tournament appearances, she has finished among
the leaders every year including a second-place showing as a
senior. She was 11th in the state as a freshman, fifth
as a sophomore and ninth as a junior.
“Coming from four consecutive state championship teams and
solid individual finishes, Haley will bring a ton of championship
experience to our team,” Brown said. “Given hard work
is required to accomplish these outstanding feats, there is no
doubt she will carry over this same commitment to the next level. I
look forward to seeing how her experience will benefit our team in
the future.”
Whitney Robertson is the daughter of Doyle and Kim Robertson, and
a four-year standout for coach Vicki Moncrief at Clarksville High
School. A versatile athlete, she was also a two-time letterwinner
on the softball team. She plans to enroll in exercise science after
winning numerous academic awards as an Honors student.
A two-time all-state selection, she was a member of
back-to-back TSSAA Class AAA championship teams in 2011 and 2012,
along with three district and region titles. As a junior, she
earned a sixth-place individual finish at the state tourney and
this year she placed fourth.
She was a winner of the 2012 Toyota Tournament of Champions and
claimed seven TGA Junior Tour wins.
“Whitney brings an unquestioned championship pedigree to our
team,” Brown said. “She has tremendous talent and I
believe her resolve and determination will help her to be very
successful during her tenure at Tech. I cannot wait to have her be
a part of our team.”
Lydia Triplett is the daughter of Bill and Linda Triplett of
Benton, Tenn., and plans to major in nursing. An Honors student at
Polk County High School, she lettered four years on the golf team
for coach Jason Adams and also earned four letters on the softball
team playing for her father. She was a three-time all-district
selection on the diamond.
On the golf course, she competed in the Class A-AA state
tournament three times in four years, placing 10th in
2011 and sixth in 2012 while earning all-state honors both years.
As a senior, she was a Chattanooga Times-Free Press Best of Preps
selection, and was the district runnerup three times. She captured
the second flight of the TGA Women’s State Amateur in 2012,
and won the Early Bird Cookeville Invitational this past fall.
“Lydia will bring a very strong work ethic and desire to our
team,” Brown said. “I am excited to see how these
attributes will contribute to her success at Tech for the next four
years. She will undoubtedly help our program.”
