April 16, 2007

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss men's golf coach Jerry Weeks announced today the signing of Robert Derek Plucienski (Slidell, La.) to a national letter of intent for the 2007-08 season.

Plucienski currently attends Brother Martin High School in New Orleans and plays for coach Randy Asprodites. The four-year letterwinner and team captain plays on a squad that has won the district championship and is undefeated this season. As a junior, Plucienski won the Warren Cervanni Award for most outstanding golfer at the school

On the junior amateur circuit, Plucienski was the 2006 Gulf States Player of the Year and captured back-to-back Westford Gulf States championships in 2004 and 2005. He carded a one-under-par 71 to capture the 2006 Louisiana Premier Golf Championship. Plucienski also garnered a 10th-place tie at the America Junior Golf Association event in Lubbock, Texas.

He finished second at the AJGA Ashworth Junior event at South Padre Island, just a couple of days prior to Hurricane Katrina. Plucienski stayed with relatives in south Texas, attended Port Isabel High School in South Padre Island, from September to December before returning home.

Outside of golf, Plucienski is a consistent member of the Beta Honor Roll and has performed community service regularly by holding junior clinics at Timberlane Golf and Country Club in Gretna and also at Pinewood Country Club in Slidell.

Plucienski is the second signee for the Golden Eagles this spring in men's golf as the team also added Darren Chapman (Destin, Fla.) for next fall.