The Florida A&M men’s golf team is rolling with momentum after reclaiming the ARCIS Championship title for the third straight year.  

Now the Rattlers are preparing for the Alabama State Spring Classic in Montgomery, where they plan on continuing this hot streak.   

The Rattlers finished +39 (39 strokes above par) with a total score of 759 across three rounds, which surpassed the second-place team, Alabama State’s +41 (41 strokes above par) with a score of 761.  

After taking the ARCIS Championship by two strokes, head coach Mike Rice says they have some things to work on moving forward.   

“Winning that for the third straight year was nice,” Rice said, “But we felt like we didn’t play our best golf, so since we’ve gotten back, we have just put our heads down and are continuing to improve.”   

Winning a team championship requires everyone in the lineup to step up, including underclassmen like Emilio Gracia.  

Garcia was a top 10 finisher in the ARCIS Championship, shooting for +13 (13 strokes above par) and a total score of 193.   

While Garcia helped keep the Rattlers’ team card strong, he says he relied on sticking to his game and finishing the tournament with some emphasis.   

“We played strong,” Garcia said. “We had to overcome a couple of obstacles, but at the end of the day, we pulled through and had fun during a great win.” 

The sophomore says he is focused on improving his short game for the upcoming tournament and is looking forward to what’s to come in the 2026 season.   

“I’m excited to have fun with the team and learn more in my second year while excelling in tournament play as the season goes on,” Garcia said.   

With the Rattlers heading to Montgomery on Monday, Mar 9 and Tuesday, Mar. 10, coach Rice and his boys look to keep adding to the trophy shelf.  

While improving and defending the SWAC title remain the key goal for the squad, Rice says going out there and having fun is still the top priority.   

“Our goal is to defend that SWAC championship, and I think we really have a chance to get to the NCAA tournament,” Rice said. “But the main thing is I want them to have fun. Most of these guys have been playing since they were little because it’s fun, and when they’re having fun, they’re going to succeed.” 

As the Rattlers prepare for the Alabama State Spring Classic, they hope to continue building on their early-season success and keep their championship aspirations on track.