After a co-championship at regionals, the Wildcat golf team will make the long trip to Florence, Ala. for nationals next week.

“It is very special for us all to be in Alabama next week,” senior Cyril Bouniol said. “We have a burning desire to bring a national championship back to ACU.”

The last time the purple and white made the trip to the national meet was 2007 and the regional championship was the first since 1994.

During conference tournaments, regional tournaments and national tournaments, Bouniol has been dominant. He won all three last year and led wire-to-wire in the regional last week.

“It means so much to me and I am so ready to compete and give everything I have for this team one last time,” Bouniol added.

On the flip side, Alex Carpenter has struggled throughout these tournaments.

After 11 regular season wins in the last two years, he has taken only one victory in the three major tournaments for the year – last year’s conference meet.

The No. 1 ranked Division II player had his worst tournament of the year at regionals, posting three straight over-par rounds to finish in the middle of the pack.

What Carpenter does have going for him however is that he won on this same course in the Division II Preview Tournament in October. Facing the hardest Div. II competition in the country, Carpenter won the tourney by one stroke. Bouniol was right behind him though, two strokes back in third.

“I’m looking forward to going back to the course we played well on last semester,” Carpenter said. “Everyone is playing well and I believe we have a chance to end this year on a special note.”

According to golfstat.com, Bouniol is ranked 6th in the nation giving the Wildcats two players in the top six, something no other team can boast.

A key for the Wildcats this year has been the role other teammates have played on the squad.

Along with Bouniol and Carpenter, Tyler Sheppard and Trey Sullivan have had success this year. Sheppard has been a key for the ‘Cats the past two seasons, while Sullivan took home the LSC Freshman of the Year award after a quality season of play for the Wildcats.

Last year, the Wildcats were well represented at nationals as Bouniol took home the title individually as the sole Wildcat there.

Due to his regional win, Bouniol got to go to nationals even though ACU as a team did not go. He made the most of his opportunity giving the Wildcats an individual national championship trophy.

The Wildcats are looking to improve upon their somewhat shaky play at nationals following their almost cataclysmic breakdown at the NCAA Division II South Central/Super Regional Tournament last week in Georgetown, Ky.

Abilene Christian almost gave up a 16-stroke lead in the final round of the tournament, but held on to finish in a tie for first with No. 1 Central Oklahoma, sharing the super regional championship crown with the Bronchos.

ACU is ranked fifth in the nation and first in the South Central Region, according to ncaa.com.

The tournament will be May 17-20.