March 31, 1998

MANDEVILLE, La. -- Lane Pippin fired a season-low 67 in the final round of the Southeastern Louisiana Mardi Gras Classic on Tuesday to capture his first career title and lead the Rebels to their first tournament victory of the year.

Ole Miss shot a 287 in the final round for a total of 864, winning by 12 strokes over host school Southeastern Louisiana and becoming the first team in the history of the tournament to finish as low as par as a team. It is the first tournament win for the Rebels since the 1994-95 season, when they captured the Legends/Pepsi Intercollegiate title. Pippin's medalist honors are the first for a Rebel since former All-American Brian Rowell won the Legends/Pepsi Intercollegiate in the 1995-96 year.

Pippin, a 1997 All-SEC performer from Ocean Springs, Miss., captured his first top five finish of the year and second top five finish of his career with scores of 70-74-67--211. His previous best finish was a runner-up performance at the Kiawah Island Intercollegiate last year. Pippin and teammate Matt Armstrong each shot a 67 in this tournament, the lowest score by a Rebel this year. They tied with Rowell for fourth-lowest single-round tournament score in Ole Miss golf history.

Armstrong, a senior from Paducah, Ky., tied for third with a 76-67-70--213 for his second career top five finish. He tied his best performance of the season, as he also tied for third at the Charley Matlock Collegiate Classic on March 6-8 this year with a 68-73-72--213.

Pippin and Armstrong made the All-Tournament team, along with Bill Sherman of Southeastern Louisiana (72-71-69--212, second), Alex Maynard of Arkansas-Little Rock (74-68-71--213, tied for third) and John Ehrgott of Michigan State (68-76-70--214, fifth).

Danny Sanford, a sophomore from Scottsdale, Ariz., captured his first career top 20 finish, tying for 16th with a 71-74-76--221. Haymes Snedeker, a junior from Nashville, Tenn., finished in the top 20 for the fifth time this year, shooting a 76-69-77--222 to tie for 19th. Phil Caravia, a freshman from Belleville, Ill., tied for 43rd with a 78-78-74--230.

The Rebels, who have finished in the top 10 in seven tournaments this season and all five spring tournaments, will travel to Opelika, Ala., April 10-12 to participate in the Billy Hitchcock Intercollegiate.

Mardi Gras Invitational

Mandeville, La.

TEAM STANDINGS (Final)

1. OLE MISS 293-284-287--864
2. Southeastern Louisiana 294-291-291--876
3. Georgia State 285-296-296--877
4. Southern Mississippi 300-294-292--886
5. Campbell 309-301-282--892
6. Michigan State 303-296-295--894
7. Arkansas-Little Rock 309-299-300--908
8. McNeese State 309-308-294--911
9. New Orleans 311-304-301--916
10. Wyoming 304-308-305--917
11. Jacksonville State 309-311-300--920
12. Troy State 319-312-292--923
13. Eastern Michigan 316-308-301--925
T14. Northeast Louisiana 303-309-315--927
T14. Southwest Texas St. 309-317-301--927
16. Wright State 311-311-312--934
17. Northwestern St. 316-313-311--940
18. Louisiana Tech 324-320-303--947

OLE MISS RESULTS
Lane Pippin 70-74-67--211(1)
Matt Armstrong 76-67-70--213(T3)
Danny Sanford 71-74-76--221(T16)
Haymes Snedeker 76-69-77--222(T19)
Phil Caravia 78-78-74--230(T43)

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
LANE PIPPIN, OLE MISS (70-74-67--211, first); Bill Sherman, Southeastern Louisiana (72-71-69--212, second); MATT ARMSTRONG, OLE MISS (76-67-70--213, tied for third); Alex Maynard, Arkansas-Little Rock (74-68-71--213, tied for third); John Ehrgott, Michigan State (68-76-70--214, fifth).