Posted: Feb 02, 2017

Men’s golf picked as favorite in preseason USA South poll

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Huntingdon men's golf team enters the spring season as the No. 1 team in the USA South Athletic Conference preseason golf poll.

The Hawks received 10 of a possible 10 first-place votes and totaled 100 points in the poll released on Thursday. The final first-place vote went to No. 2 Methodist (88 points). Conference coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team.

Huntingdon, which finished as the runner-up in the NCAA Division III National Championship last season, won three of its four tournaments during the fall season and closed the fall season ranked No. 1 in Division III in two national polls.

Behind Huntingdon and Methodist, LaGrange is third with 81 points, Greensboro is fourth with 77 points and Ferrum is fifth with 64 points. North Carolina Wesleyan and Piedmont tied for sixth with 49 points apiece, Maryville is No. 8 with 38 points and Averett is No. 9 with 28 points. Covenant (21 points) and William Peace (10 points) round out the poll in 10th and 11th respectively.

The Hawks open the spring season in the Callaway Gardens Invitational on March 6-7.

The complete poll is listed below.

USA South Preseason Men's Golf Poll

1. Huntingdon (10 first-place votes), 100 points

2. Methodist (1), 88 points

3. LaGrange, 81 points

4. Greensboro, 77 points

5. Ferrum, 64 points

T6. N.C. Wesleyan, 49 points

T6. Piedmont, 49 points

8. Maryville, 38 points

9. Averett, 28 points