INDIANAPOLIS – Reigning league champion Findlay was announced as a narrow favorite in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Men’s Golf Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour on Thursday afternoon.
Twelve teams were ranked by the league’s coaches as four different schools received at least one first-place vote in this year’s poll.
Findlay and Trevecca Nazarene each had four first-place votes while Hillsdale secured three and Tiffin garnered one.
UF received a total of 112 points in the balloting. The Trojans earned 107 and Hillsdale was just one point behind with 106.
First-year conference member Tiffin landed 97 points and Kentucky Wesleyan officially rounded out the top five schools in the preseason coaches poll.
Findlay ended TNU’s five-year run at the top of the league with a seven-stroke margin of victory in last year’s championship tournament at Four Bridges Country Club in Liberty Township, Ohio.
Trevecca was the league leader in scoring average during the fall with an average of 292.9 per 18 holes. Findlay was a close second at 294.1 in five more rounds played.
TNU carries over three of the league’s best four scoring leaders into the spring season including Blain Turner (71.5), Ryan Rozic (73.0) and Larken Whittemore (73.0). Luke Kelly is Findlay’s top scorer at this point through 2018-19 with a 72.4 scoring average and six top-10 finishes.
This year’s golf championship will be conducted in Lexington, Ky., home of the Kentucky Wildcats at Big Blue Course at the University Club.
Ohio Valley’s Adam O’Hara had the low round of the fall with a 64 (-8) at the MVNU Fall Cougar Classic. Kentucky Wesleyan’s Christian Tooley had a 7-under par 65 at the Battle of Frederica and three other players recorded rounds of 67 (-5).
Great Midwest Men's Golf Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour
| School |
Points |
| 1. Findlay (4 first-place votes) |
112 |
| 2. Trevecca Nazarene (4 first-place votes) |
107 |
| 3. Hillsdale (3 first-place votes) |
106 |
| 4. Tiffin (1 first-place vote) |
97 |
| 5. Kentucky Wesleyan |
77 |
| 6. Ohio Dominican |
66 |
| 7. Malone |
61 |
| 8. Davis & Elkins |
36 |
| 9. Cedarville |
34 |
| 10. Ohio Valley |
30 |
| 11. Alderson Broaddus |
21 |
| 12. Walsh |
14 |