BURNSVILLE, Minn. -- The University of Sioux Falls Women's Golf Team has been picked to finish in a tie for third place, according to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Coaches Poll released Thursday by the league office.
USF finished with 91 points and tied with Concordia St. Paul for third. Augustana was voted as the league favorite and just edged Minnesota State in vote points, 114-to-113. Both AU and MSU received six first place ballots.
Senior
Lexi Hanson, who has qualified for two straight NCAA DII Regional tournaments and earned All-NSIC honors twice, was named USF's "Player to Watch."
NSIC Women's Golf Preseason Coaches Poll
| 1. |
Augustana (6) |
114 |
| 2. |
Minnesota State (6) |
113 |
| 3. |
Concordia-St. Paul |
91 |
|
Sioux Falls |
91 |
| 5. |
Minot State |
82 |
| 6. |
Bemidji State |
62 |
| 7. |
Upper Iowa |
61 |
| 8. |
Southwest Minnesota State |
52 |
| 9. |
St. Cloud State |
46 |
| 10. |
Winona State |
37 |
| 11. |
MSU Moorhead |
29 |
| 12. |
Minnesota Crookston |
14 |
USF Women's Golf Team claimed fourth place at the league championships a year ago. The 2019 squad, which will be directed by first-year head coach
Tavia Rutherford, finished the 2018 tourney at 132 over par and 996 (328-328-341). The Cougars will look to move up as the team returns its entire starting lineup. Both junior
Sydney Hubbard and Hanson finished at 28-over par and 244 at the NSIC tournament as they finished tied for 11
th place. Junior
Alex Nutter of Houston, Minn., who was named All-NSIC in 2018, also placed in the top 20 with a 17
th place finish as she was 36-over par and had a 252. The Cougars averaged 326.56 shots per round with Hanson leading the way at 79.67 in 21 rounds. Nutter was second at 81.11 with
Sydney Hubbard at 82.72 for third best on the team. The Cougars twice shot a season team-best round of 312 in 2018.
Hansen qualified for the NCAA DII regionals and finished 52
nd as she became the second USF golfer to reach the DII regionals in back-to-back seasons. Hanson, a criminal justice and psychology double major, was a second team All-NSIC selection in 2018. She had a solid season as a junior with five top-10 and eight top-20 finishes among the nine competitions and 18 rounds played. Hanson, who has 10 career top-10 finishes, was 11th individually at the NSIC Championship with a 244 (80-83-81) in Morton, Minn on April 26-28.
Nutter, who is a sophomore elementary education major, placed 17th at the 2019 NSIC Women's Golf Championship with a 36-over par 252 (81-83-88). Nutter, who was named NSIC Golfer of the Week on April 10, twice has carded a career-best 154 including at the Central Region Preview (75-79) and at the Augustana Invitational (76-78) on Sept. 29-30. She has had 10 top-20 finishes in her career. She also had three top-10 placements and now has five in her career.
The USF Women's Golf Team will open the season
Sept. 2-4 at the Central Region Preview at Adams Pointe Golf Club, Blue Springs, Mo.
The three-round NSIC Women's' Golf Championship will take place this spring on April
24-26 at Dacotah Ridge in Morton, Minnesota.
