Jernigan earns scholarship to McLennan College

McLennan Community College golf coach Stan Mitchell trusts the golfers who have played for him in the past.

And he should.

In 12 years as the women's golf coach, Mitchell has coached the Highlassies to three national championships and turned out 47 NJCAA All-Americans.

So when a few of his former golfers from Monahans - Amanda Stuessy, Whitney Mitchell, Kandace Burnett - started telling him about Jordan Jernigan, he didn't waste any time recruiting the Lady Loboes standout.

Jernigan became eligible to receive scholarship offers on July 1 last year.

"I offered her a scholarship on July 1st," Mitchell said. "I've always felt like the West Texas kids got overlooked."

Andrews' Morgan Dockery will also attend McLennan in the fall.

Jernigan accepted an athletic scholarship to McLennan in January, four months before she helped lead Monahans to the Class 3A state title.

But Mitchell could only offer her a partial scholarship.
McLennan can offer 6.1 scholarships per year, but the NJCAA allows Mitchell to put 8 players on scholarship.

So Mitchell has to find other ways to make up for the rest of the costs of tuition.

Enter the McLennan Community College Foundation.
Founded to help pay the rest of an athlete's scholarship, Mitchell has already established scholar-ships in honor of his wife Nancy's father and grandfather.

Jernigan received a special scholarship, though, in Odessa on Saturday. Mitchell is an Odessa native, a Permian graduate with a special place in his heart for West Texas golfers.

Jernigan, a Monahans senior who finished 12th in her graduating class, will become the first recipient of the Margaret Mitchell Memorial scholarship, named in honor of Mitchell's mother, Margaret, who died last October.

"To be the first person to get this scholarship, it means a lot to me," Jernigan said. "I never really thought about attending another school."

The Margaret Mitchell Memorial scholarship will cover the cost of Jernigan's books, a cost that can be extremely expensive.

In turn, Jernigan will get to continue playing at a high level of competition.

At Monahans, Jernigan played against the best golfers in the state on an almost weekly basis.

At McLennan, Jernigan will play a schedule littered with NCAA Division I schools and NCAA Division II schools.

Mitchell only expects the best.

"To go to a program that's won the national title three times, that hasn't finished lower than fourth in 12 years, that's also attractive," Jernigan's father, Jay, said. "That played a big role."

Mitchell is hoping Jernigan will play a similarly important role for the Highlassies.