OVC Preseason Polls

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Eastern Kentucky’s men’s golf team was picked to finish first this season in the Ohio Valley Conference in a poll of the league’s head coaches. EKU’s women’s squad was picked to place fourth. The men’s team finished in a first place tie with Murray State in the voting.

Murray State and Eastern Kentucky both earned 56 points. The Racers garnered four first place votes while the Colonels were listed first on three ballots. Austin Peay was third with 53 points and two first place votes.

Eastern Kentucky has won 11 OVC men’s golf championships with the most recent coming two years ago (2008). EKU finished fourth at the 2009 OVC Championship and during the recently completed fall season had the second-best overall team stroke average in the league.

Only one starter returned from the 2008-09 team, but three freshmen played well in the fall. Freshman Zack Butler earned OVC Player of the Week honors twice. Freshman Jordan Cash and redshirt freshman Johan Eriksson each picked up conference player of the week awards once. Butler had two top-5 finishes in the fall including an individual medalist honors at the Wasioto Winds Fall Kick-Off.

The EKU women’s team totaled 30 points to place fourth among eight teams. Morehead State (46) was picked first, followed by Jacksonville State (41) and Murray State (39). Tennessee Tech (26) followed the Colonels and rounded out the top five.

Last year’s Eastern women’s team that featured six freshmen is another year older. Junior Gabrielle Andersson garnered OVC Player of the Week honors in the fall after a second place finish at the Drake Creek Fall Invitational.

The Colonel men’s team will be back in action on March 12-14 at the Pinehurst Intercollegiate. The Colonel women’s team will be back in action on March 11-12 when the program hosts the EKU El Diablo Intercollegiate in Citrus Springs, Fla.