Lee University Golf Ranked 7th In NAIA Preseason Poll
Monday, November 12, 2012
Texas Wesleyan begins the 2012-13 season at No. 1 in the NAIA Men's Golf Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll, the national office announced over the weekend. The Rams, who placed sixth at last year's NAIA Men's Golf National Championships at Creekside Golf Club in Salem, Ore., collected 13-of-18 first-place votes and earned 494 points en route to their first-ever top billing. The Lee Flames are 7th in the poll.
Texas Wesleyan returns three NAIA All-America selections from last year, including NAIA national championship individual runner-up Nathan Anderson. Anderson, who received first team honors, finished one stroke behind individual medalist Carson Kallis of Victoria (B.C.) with a 72-hole score of 284. Teammates Dillon Watkins and Jose Rolz were the Rams' other two All-Americans, both earning third team distinction.
Defending national champion Oklahoma City dropped one spot from last season's postseason poll to No. 2. The Stars garnered four first-place nods and pulled in 479 points. No. 3 Cal State San Marcos vaulted 13 places from its 2012 postseason ranking of No. 16 with 458 points. The Cougars notched two team titles this fall at the California State Intercollegiate Tournament on Sept. 23 - 25 and the CSUSM Fall Invite on Oct. 14 - 16. No. 4 Cumberlands (Ky.) and No. 5 Bellevue (Neb.) were awarded 444 and 438 points to round out the top five. Bellevue also received the remaining first-place vote.
“It is always good to be recognized as one of the top teams in the country heading into the spring season, but we also know there is a long way to go,” noted coach John Maupin. “We had a chance to win three times this fall, and I think that experience of being in the hunt will help us moving forward.”
Maupin points out that this team has high expectations. “I believe can go as far as they want to go. We have a great mix of young players and experienced players, and it’s been fun to watch them push each other this fall. If we work hard this off-season I think it could be a special spring.”
In total, 12 teams join the poll that were not ranked at the end of last season. Fifth-ranked Bellevue is the highest ranked of those squads, while No. 6 Oklahoma Baptist, No. 8 The Master's (Calif.) and No. 10 Northwood (Texas) are also rated amongst the top 10. Of the newcomers, Bellevue, No. 11 Coastal Georgia, No. 15 Northwestern (Iowa) and No. 19 Ashford (Iowa) are making their first appearance in the Top 25, dating back to 2000.