AGA also announces boys and girls all-state teams
Both Alabama junior players of the year have built impressive golf resumes
Huntsville’s Nick Dunlap and Birmingham’s Molly Brown Davidson have been named the Alabama junior players of the year by the Alabama Golf Association.
The AGA’s announcement of the Alabama junior players of the year, which also included the organization’s all-state teams for 2021, was made Wednesday.
It’s the fifth year the state’s golf association has compiled the teams.
All-State teams are awarded based on the Alabama State Junior Golf Rankings System, which awards points per event based on the number of participants in the event combined with the overall strength of the field. Tournaments must also meet additional requirements to be a sanctioned rankings event. Teams are based on a player’s performance over the past 12 months through August 31.
All-State team members and the Alabama junior players of the year will be honored with other Alabama State Players of the Year in early 2022.
Alabama junior players of the year
Nick Dunlap, 2022, of Huntsville is a home-schooled senior a commit to The University of Alabama. He was named Champion at the U.S. Boys Junior Championship, winning his final match 3 and 2. He preceded this triumph by winning this year’s Dustin Johnson Junior World Championship, qualifying for the U.S. Amateur with medalist honors in Decatur and claiming AJGA’s Polo Golf Junior Classic title. Dunlap finished T2 at both the Boys Junior PGA Championship and AJGA’s Wyndham Invitational. He notched several top-5’s in other national junior events, such as the 26th Bobby Chapman Junior Invitational and the Sea Pines Junior Heritage. Dunlap will go on to represent Alabama in next year’s U.S. Open, at The Country Club in Brookline, MA. Dunlap has one career AGA State Title: Alabama Boys State Junior (2018). Dunlap was the 2018 Alabama Boys State Junior Player of the Year, and he is the 2021 Alabama Boys State Junior Player of the Year.
Molly Brown Davidson, 2025, of Birmingham is a freshman at Hewitt-Trussville High School. She won multiple Championship titles this season, including the following events: SJGT Championship, Lee Hodges Classic, Mid-South Masters, Indian Pines, Callaway Gardens Junior Classic and the Cypress Lakes Golf Club. She finished second in the Alabama Women’s State Amateur, Alabama Women’s Stroke Play, Alabama Girls State Junior and Lake Mary Junior Open. As she maintained top 5 finishes throughout the entirety of her season, she finished T5 in both the AJGA Huntsville Junior and Magnolia Grove Junior Classic. She is the 2021 Alabama Girls State Junior Player of the Year.
Boys All-state Team
In addition to Nick Dunlap, the other members of the First Team are:
Gordon Sargent, 2021, of Birmingham is a freshman at Vanderbilt University. He is one of five chosen to receive the prestigious Byron Nelson International Junior Golf Award. Sargent has three career AGA state titles: Alabama Boys State Junior Championship (2019) and 105th Alabama State Amateur Championship (2020 & 2021). He finished second at AJGA’s Ping Invitational, as well as this year’s Western Amateur. He claimed third at AJGA’s Simplify Boys Championship and went on to finish fourth at AJGA’s Rolex Tournament of Champions. Sargent made the quarterfinals at the U.S. Junior Championship and advanced to the Round of 64 at this year’s U.S. Amateur. He is the 2020 Alabama Boys State Junior Player of the Year.
Paul Bruce, 2021, of Guntersville is a freshman at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Bruce claimed this year’s Alabama Boys State Junior title. He also claimed the title at SJGT’s Tournament of Champions. He had a top-5 finish at SJGT’s Kiva Dunes Junior Classic, SJGT’s Southeastern Junior, the Gator Invitational and the Future Masters. Bruce had a top 15 finish at PGA’s Willow Cup and a top 20 finish at the 105th Alabama State Amateur Championship. He finished T50 at the Southern Junior Championship.
Jones Free, 2021, of Selmais a freshman at The University of Alabama. He finished T1 at the Future Masters and claimed SJGT’s Patrick Farms Junior Classic title. Free had top 10 finishes in SJGT’s Tournament of Champions, the Alabama Boys State Junior, PGA’s Willow Cup, and Bubba Conlee. He secured a top 15 finish at the Southern Junior Championship, as well as T26 in the 105th Alabama State Amateur Championship.
Tristin Wisener, 2023, of Hartselle is a junior at Hartselle High School. He won the Burningtree Junior Classic. He had three top 5 finishes: Future Masters, Alabama Boys State Junior and the AJGA Hunstville Junior. Wisener finished top 10 at the AJGA Junior Championship, SJGT’s Lee Hodges Classic and the Sea Island Junior Classic.
Boys Second Team
Chase Kyes, 2025, of Birmingham is a freshman at Spain Park. He won the Vaughn Taylor Championship and finished second at the Alabama Boys State Junior Championship. He also finished second at the Stewart Cink Championship.
Tom Fischer, 2025, of Birmingham is a freshman at Mountain Brook High School. He claimed second at AJGA’s Junior at Canebrake Club. Fischer also finished T3 at the Lee Hodges Classic. He had multiple top 10 finishes within the AJGA. He also finished T6 at the Alabama Boys State Junior. Fischer secured T12 at this year’s Southern Junior Championship.
Ward Harris, 2023, of Vestavia Hills is a junior at Vestavia Hills High School. He had multiple top 5 finishes on the SJGT circuit. Harris had a top 20 performance at the Southern Junior.
Harrison Sims, 2022, of Homewood is a senior at Homewood High School. He finished in the top 35 at the Alabama State Amateur Championship, top 14 at the Alabama Boys State Junior and top 20 at the Alabama State Match Play Championship. He claimed third in the SJGT Ooltewah Junior Classic and finished in the top 10 at the Future Masters.
Jackson Mitchell, 2023, of Athens is a junior at Athens High School. Mitchell won the Huntsville Junior Classic. He finished second at the Burningtree Junior Classic, as well as the Lee Hodges Classic and the All-State Sugar Bowl Tommy Moore Memorial. He had multiple top ten finishes within the SJGT tour and finished T31 at the Southern Junior Championship.
Boys Third Team
Trace Bracknell, 2023, of Tuscaloosa is a junior at Northridge High School. He finished top 5 in both the future Masters and the Harris English Invitational. Bracknell secured a top 10 placement at the Gulf Shores Junior Classic. He also advanced to this year’s U.S. Boys Junior Championship.
Gibson Charlton, 2023, of Enterprise is a junior at Enterprise High School. He claimed third in this year’s Alabama Boys State Junior, fourth in the Ooltewah Junior Classic and T5 in the Magnolia Grove Junior Classic.
John Bruce, 2022, of Guntersville is a senior at Guntersville High School. Bruce won the Lee Hodges Classic. He finished fourth at the Burningtree Junior Classic. Bruce also had a top 10 finish at the Future Masters. He went on to finish within the top 60 at the 105th Alabama State Amateur Championship.
Stuart Dickson, 2022, of Trussville is a senior at Hewitt-Trussville High School. He had multiple top 5 finishes this season: the Alabama Boys State Junior, BGA’s FarmLinks, AJGO’s Timberline and BGA’s Junior Championship.
Michael Crocker, 2024, of Mobile is a sophomore at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School. He claimed the title at the Grand National Junior Classic. Crocker also finished within the top 10 at the Alabama Boys State Junior and competed in this year’s Alabama State Amateur Championship. Beyond these accomplishments, he had multiple other top 10 finishes on the SJGT circuit.
2021 Alabama Girls All-state Teams
Girls First Team
In addition to Molly Brown Davidson, the other members of the Girls First Team are:
Morgan Jones, 2021, of Auburn is a freshman at Auburn University. Jones won both the Alabama Girls State Junior and the NW Florida Junior PGA Championship. She also finished top 5 in the Alabama Women’s Stroke Play, Montgomery Junior Classic and Stewart Cink Championship. Jones secured top 10 placement at the AJGA Junior Open and top 20 placement at the Alabama Women’s State Amateur.
Taylor Trible, 2022, of Birmingham is a senior at Spain Park High School. Trible won the Alabama Women’s State Amateur and placed top 10 at the Alabama Girls State Junior. She also had multiple SJGT top 5 finishes, including two wins.
Lauren Thompson, 2021, of Dothan is a freshman at Lipscomb University. Thompson won both the 2020 Magnolia Grove Junior Classic and AJGA’s Junior at Canebrake Club. She also had multiple top 5 finishes, including the Alabama Girls State Junior, NW Florida Junior PGA Championship, Tournament of Champions and the Visit Tallahassee Junior Championship. Thompson finished top 10 at the Alabama Women’s State Amateur.
Christine Chang, 2024, of Auburn is a sophomore at Lee Scott Academy. Chang won the South Alabama Kickoff. She also claimed third the Alabama Girls State Junior. She had multiple top 5 finishes on the SJGT circuit, alongside multiple top 10 performances on the AJGA tour. Chang also advanced to the U.S. Girls Junior Championship.
Girls Second Team
Kylee Lynn, 2025, of Opelika is a freshman at homeschool. Lynn won the Peninsula Junior Classic and finished top 5 in multiple SJGT events. She finished top 20 at the Alabama Women’s State Amateur, placed top 10 at the Alabama Girls State Junior and claimed a top 25 spot at the Alabama Women’s Stroke Play.
Gabriella Nicastro, 2023, of Huntsville is a junior at Huntsville High School. Nicastro won two SJGT events. She also placed top 5 in the Alabama Girls State Junior, Southeastern Junior and Lee Hodges Classic.
Erika Allen, 2021, of Berry is a freshman at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Allen won the Mossy Oak Junior Classic. She finished top 10 in both the Alabama Women’s Stroke Play and the Alabama Girls State Junior. She had multiple top 10 finishes at SJGT events and secured a top 15 finish at the Tournament of Champions.
Yvette Gordon, 2023, of Pike Road is a junior at Pike Road High School. Gordon won the Southeastern Junior and the Grand National Junior Classic. She had multiple top 5 and top 10 finishes on the SJGT circuit. Gordon finished top 15 at the Alabama Girls State Junior and secured a top 20 finish at the Alabama Women’s Stroke Play.
Ashlee Allen, 2023, of Berry is a junior at Northside High School. Allen had multiple top 5 and top 10 finishes on the SJGT circuit. She finished top 10 at the Alabama Women’s Stroke Play and top 15 at the Alabama Girls State Junior.
Girls Third Team
Grace Engel, 2023, of Huntsville is a junior at Huntsville High School. Engel secured top 5 finishes within multiple SJGT events. She also claimed a top 10 finish at the Alabama Girls State Junior.
Katelyn Foster, 2024, of Mobile is a sophomore at Baker High School. Foster won two SJGT events, alongside the Reese’s Senior Bowl. Beyond these victories, she secured multiple top 5 finishes on the SJGT tour and Jimmy Green Golf Tour. Foster also finished top 15 at the Alabama Girls State Junior.
Jinger Heath, 2023, of Decatur is a junior at Decatur High School. Heath won this year’s Magnolia Grove Junior Classic and finished top 5 in multiple SJGT events. She also claimed top 10 in the Alabama Girls State Junior, as well as top 20 in the Alabama Women’s Stroke Play.
Ella Howard, 2022, of Gadsden is a senior at Gadsden City High School. Howard won the AJGO Larry Oliver Junior Invitational. She also secured top 5 at the Belle Meade Junior Classic and the AJGO Junior Open. She finished top 30 at the Alabama Women’s Stroke Play.
Polly Kate McCrackin, 2025, of Hoover is a freshman at Spain Park High School. McCrackin won the BGA Junior Championship, BGA Trussville, BGA Country Club of Birmingham and the BGA Highland Park. She secured top 35 placement at the Alabama Girls State Junior.
By Alabama Golf News staff
Featured Image: Alabama Golf Association
