Women’s Golf Ranked No. 7 in Preseason Division III Coaches’ Poll

St. Louis, Mo., September 1, 2011 – The Washington University in St. Louis women’s golf team is ranked No. 7 in the Golf World/National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) Division III Preseason Top-25 Poll, as announced Thursday by the magazine.

Methodist College, winner of 14-straight NCAA titles, garnered all 23 first-place votes and is the unanimous top-ranked team in the preseason poll. Rounding out the top five are DePauw University, Gustavus Adolphus College, Illinois Wesleyan University and Saint Mary’s College (Indiana).

Fourth-year head coach Sean Curtis guided the Bears to an eighth-place finish at the 2011 NCAA Division III Championship, it’s highest in school history. The Bears return six letterwinners from a year ago, and have added three freshmen to the roster.

Junior Hannah Buck picked up NGCA first-team All-America accolades a year ago after tying for third place at the NCAA Championship. Sophomore Andrea Hibbert returns after a phenomenal freshman season where she finished tied for 12th at the NCAA Championship and earned NGCA first-team all-Central Region honors.

Also returning for the Bears are sophomore Allyson Chee, senior Katie Homa, senior Sarah Miller and junior Melanie Walsh. Curtis welcomes freshmen Elena Chintala, Taylor Fagan and Olivia Lugar to a roster with only four upper classmen.

Washington University opens the 2011-12 season at the NCAA Fall Preview Tournament on Friday-Saturday, Sept. 2-3, in Angola, Ind.

Golf World/NGCA Division III Preseason Top-25 Poll
1. Methodist
2. DePauw
3. Gustavus Adolphus
4. Illinois Wesleyan
5. St. Mary’s (Ind.)
6. Wisconsin-Eau Claire
7. Washington University
8. Centre
9. Allegheny
10. Williams
11. George Fox
12. Amherst
13. Olivet
14. Texas-Tyler
15. Birmingham Southern
16. Mary Hardin-Baylor
17. NYU
18. Wisconsin-Whitewater
19. Wartburg
20. St. Olaf
21. North Central
22. Southwestern
23. Wittenberg
24. Wisconsin-Stevens Point
25. Rhodes