Courtesy of CIAA
CHARLOTTE, NC– HV3 Foundation is thrilled to partner with the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and be a part of their 59th annual CIAA Men’s Golf Conference Championship. This historic tournament will take place at Jacksonville Country Club in Jacksonville, NC on April 16-18, 2023, providing college-level golfers an opportunity to demonstrate excellence on the George Cobb designed golf course.
“The CIAA is thrilled to partner with the HV3 Foundation whose mission is to provide affordable access to the sport of golf. The eight (8) member schools who sponsor golf will not only have an enhanced championship experience through this partnership with HV3, but additional exposure and visibility that our student athletes deserve,” said CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams-Parker. “We are grateful for HV3’s vision and the alignment to support our conference and we are pleased to welcome them as a new partner of the CIAA family.”
The partnership with the HV3 Foundation to sponsor and assist with operations is an exciting development for the college athletes representing the eight CIAA schools who will come together to compete for the team title and top individual honors.
Harold Varner III, Founder and President of the HV3 Foundation, reminisced about his golf career as he announced his foundation’s involvement in sponsoring the tournament. “Throughout my whole life of playing golf, I think my favorite time was college golf. I love the team atmosphere of trying to win a tournament, not only as a player, but as a team,” said Varner.
Varner also expressed his enthusiasm for being involved in this major event: “Working with the CIAA and providing these guys with the best event at the championship level is very rewarding and I hope they all enjoy the experience.”
This year, Livingstone College and 2022 individual medalist Joel Basalaine will be looking to repeat as conference champions. The Blue Bears are ranked eighth in the Atlantic Region of the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA)’s poll and their top challengers in the tournament will be Fayetteville State and Virginia Union. The Broncos, seeking their first golf championship since 2012, are the top-ranked team in the CIAA, sitting fourth in the regional rankings. The Panthers are ninth in the region and last won the conference title in 2019.