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MACON, Ga. -  Mercer men's golfer James Beale earned the right to continue a stellar sophomore campaign on Monday night, as the Auckland, New Zealand native was selected for participation in the NCAA Division I Championship.  Beale joins 10 other individuals in the Athens Regional set for competition on May 17-19.

Beale's inclusion in the tournament gives him a chance at the individual national championship, to be decided over four days of competition at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California on May 29-June 3.  To reach the final tournament, Beale must finish first among the 10 individuals at the Athens Regional.

Beale is one of 45 individuals invited after their respective teams failed to earn a bid to the NCAA Championship.  The 54-hole Athens Regional will be contested at the University of Georgia Golf Course.

Beale's team-best 72.8 scoring average powered the Auckland, New Zealand product to five top-20 finishes over the year and an Atlantic Sun All-Conference first team selection.  A red-hot finish to the season saw him place among the top-10 in his final four tournaments, highlighted by individual medalist honors at the Irish Creek Collegiate.

Beale's torrid stretch included 10 straight rounds of par or better golf and back-to-back A-Sun Golfer of the Week honors on March 28 and April 4.  At the conference championship, Beale opened play with a 1-under 71 and on his way to a tie for seventh place overall.

All told, Beale participated in all 10 of Mercer's tournaments this year and contributed his score to the team's total in all 29 of his rounds.  In those 29 rounds, he collected 90 birdies and an eagle.

Beale's selection marks the second time in program history a player has been invited as an individual to the NCAA Championship.  Bill Jones III earned the school's first at-large spot in May of 2009.