NORMAN, Okla.—-Greensboro College cracked the top-ten in the final Division III Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll as released by the Golf Coaches Association of America late yesterday.
The Pride are coming off a fifth-place finish in a stacked USA South Athletic Conference Championship at Benvenue Country Club in Rocky Mount, N.C. Greensboro was led by senior Zane Smith, who posted Pride’s low score over 54 holes with a 17-over-par total of 233 (78-78-77), good for a share of ninth place in the 48-man field. Smith’s 77 marked the team’s low round Friday and helped him climb four spots on the individual leaderboard. Sophomore teammate Jerrion Dukes, who had Greensboro’s best effort through the first 27 holes of the tournament, shot 77-79-78 through three rounds for a 54-hole total of 234. The effort earned Dukes eleventh place individually.
Three USA South opponents grace the top-five spots of the poll, including USA South Champion Piedmont College who rounds out the top-five.
Greensboro claimed victory April 18 at the Hampden-Sydney Invitational at The Manor Golf Club, winning the 13-team event by seven strokes. The Pride claimed the top-three individual efforts, with Smith totaling 140 (69-71) through 36 holes to win the individual title at four-under-par. Dukes, competing as an individual only, finished second with a 36-hole total of 143 (73-70) with the only remaining under-par round in the field at one-under-par. Connor Brown rounded out the top-three golfers by posting a 146 through 36 holes to post a two-under-par score.
The Pride ranked as high as seventh in the Division III Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll on March 26. The final ranking marks the Pride’s second top-ten ranking in the poll this season.
Coach Jim Cantamessa’s Greensboro squad awaits their potential future in the NCAA Division III Championships. The 43-team field will be released May 3 with the championship taking place at the Oglebay Resort & Conference Center in Wheeling, W. Va.
Rank University (First Place Votes) Points Previous Ranking 1 Methodist (4) 396 2 2 Guilford (9) 393 1 3 Huntingdon 383 3 4 Emory 361 4 5 Piedmont (3) 358 6 6 Illinois Wesleyan (1) 356 5 7 Trinity University (TX) 301 8 8 Carnegie Mellon 283 7 9 Wittenberg 247 12 10 Greensboro 212 11 11 Sewanee: The University of the South 170 NR 12 McMurry 157 13 13 Washington & Lee 156 9 T-14 Mary Hardin-Baylor 153 18 T-14 Averett 153 14 16 Denison University 150 NR 17 University of Texas-Dallas 144 17 18 Christopher Newport 129 16 19 Oglethorpe 116 19 20 Concordia University (TX) 112 21 21 Hampden-Sydney 105 20 T-22 LaGrange 69 15 T-22 Redlands 69 23 24 Rochester 60 NR 25 St. Thomas (MN) 59 22
Dropped From Ranking: Aurora Univ. (#25); Gustavus Adolphus (#24); Pfeiffer (#10).
Others Receiving Votes: Wisconsin Eau-Claire, 49; Southwestern (TX), 48; Gustavus Adolphus, 37; Willamette, 34; Saint Johns (MN), 30; Texas Lutheran, 29; Aurora Univ., 20; Stevens Institute of Technology, 20; York College (PA), 18; Nebraska Wesleyan, 15; Webster Univ., 15; Westminster College (PA), 14; Western New England College, 13; Whitworth, 12; Pfeiffer, 10; Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 9; New York Univ. 8; Schreiner, 7; Rosemont College, 6; Babson, 5; Calvin, 5; Rhodes, 5; Williams, 5; Berry College, 4; Hardin-Simmons, 4; Pennsylvania College of Technology, 3; Hamilton, 2; Otterbein, 2; Univ. of Dallas, 2; Kenyon College, 1; Franklin & Marshall, 1.
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Courtesy of Bryan Jones, Greensboro College Sports Information Director