NORMAN, Okla. – Guilford College’s men’s golf team was ranked fourth in the preseason NCAA Division III Bushnell Golfweek Coaches’ Poll released Friday. Selections were made by Division III men’s golf coaches under the auspices of the Golf Coaches’ Association of America.
The Quakers collected 412 points and trail defending national champion Illinois Wesleyan University (466 points), Emory University (429), and Huntingdon College (421). Methodist University earned 396 points and rounds out the top five. Washington and Lee University (9th, 276 points) and Hampden-Sydney College (12th, 207 points) also represent the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in the top-25. Guilford’s cross-town rival, Greensboro College, sits 23rd with 77 points.
Coach Adam Crawford’s Quakers return seven members of last year’s squad that finished third in the 2019 NCAA Championships. Senior James Mishoe (Cary, N.C./Green Hope (UNC Greensboro)) looks to lead the Quakers after being named the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Player of the Year and an NCAA Division III PING First-Team All-American last spring. Mishoe was also named to the Golf Coaches Association of America All-Nicklaus Team and was ranked third in the final Golfstat.com Division III individual rankings.
Other key veterans include juniors Addison Manring (Stoneville, N.C./McMichael), Louis Lambert (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Latin), and Jack Lee and seniors Kell Graham and Zach Evens. Manring joined Mishoe on the PING 2019 All-America Team as an honorable mention selection. Lambert, the 2018 ODAC Rookie of the Year, Lee, and Graham each collected All-ODAC commendations last season. Evens, a 2018 honorable mention All-American, missed last fall while studying in Australia and was hampered by injury in the spring.
Crawford’s squad opens up its season September 14 at the NCAA Preview at the PGA National Resort Champions Course in Palm Bay, Florida.
Bushnell/Golfweek Division III Preseason Poll
Rank University (First Place Votes) Points 2018 NCAA Tournament Finish 1 Illinois Wesleyan (13) 466 Champion 2 Emory (5) 429 Missed Cut 3 Huntingdon (1) 421 Runner-Up 4 Guilford 412 3 5 Methodist 396 5 6 Wittenberg 358 6 7 Carnegie Mellon 327 11 8 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 309 8 9 Washington and Lee 276 Missed Cut 10 Concordia University (TX) 272 4 11 Oglethorpe 253 7 12 Hampden-Sydney 207 12 13 Redlands 186 17 14 Southwestern (TX) 180 Missed Cut 15 Saint Johns (MN) 179 Missed Cut 16 North Carolina Wesleyan 176 14 17 Trinity College (CT) 175 10 18 Hope 145 9 19 Willamette 138 13 20 Berry College 114 DNQ 21 La Verne 110 Missed Cut 22 St. Thomas (MN) 97 15 T-23 Greensboro 77 DNQ T-23 Rhodes 77 DNQ T-25 LaGrange 67 DNQ T-25 Wisconsin-Eau Claire 67 DNQ
Others Receiving Votes: Transylvania, 37; Sewanee: The Univ. of the South, 31; Gustavus Adolphus, 29; Babson, 23; New York Univ., 17; Rutgers Univ.-Camden, 16; Pacific Lutheran, 11; California Lutheran, 10; Ohio Wesleyan, 9; Allegheny, 8; Aurora, 8; Kenyon College, 8; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 8; Whitworth, 8; Calvin, 6; McMurry, 6; Gettysburg College, 5; Piedmont, 4; Trine, 4; McDaniel, 3; Rosemont, 2; St. John Fisher, 2; Texas Lutheran, 2; Birmingham-Southern, 1; Nebraska Wesleyan, 1; Rochester, 1; Williams, 1.