BURNSVILLE, MINN. -- After a historic year, the University of Sioux Falls Men's Golf Team will look to continue its success as the 2021 season opens in 10 days. On Wednesday (Sept. 1), the Cougars earned a first place vote and was projected fifth in the NSIC Preseason Coaches Poll.
In the poll, the coaches selected the two-time reigning NSIC Champions of Winona State University to win the league in the preseason men's golf coaches' poll. The Warriors received four first place votes (coaches cannot vote for their own team) and tallied 71 points to rank ahead of Bemidji State, which tallied 64 points and two first place votes. Minnesota State was third with 62 points and a first place vote, while Concordia-St. Paul was fourth with 60 points and a first place vote. Sioux Falls rounded out the top five as the Cougars had 48 points and the other first place vote.
Winona State Matthew Chandler was voted by the league coaches as the NSIC Men's Golf Preseason Golfer of the Year. He earned first team All-NSIC honors last season along with All-Tournament laurels. He led the Warriors with a 74.7 stroke average over 16 rounds last season, which ranked fifth best in the NSIC.
USF, which will be under direction of new head coach Wade Merry, returns 2021 NSIC Newcomer of the Year Gavin Metz, who placed third at the NSIC Championships and was 29th at the NCAA DII regionals. He is also USF's Athlete to Watch in 2021.
A year ago, USF was ranked as high as seventh in the region and made its program-first NCAA DII regional appearance. The Cougars, which ranked second in the NSIC in scoring average at 299.9, finished third at the NSIC Championships, which is the second best mark in second history. Metz (76.6 scoring avg.), and Jack Evans (76.5 scoring avg.), who both hail from Brainerd, Minn., return as does Jake Oetzmann (81.89), Bronson Vasa (82.33), Hank Eggebraaten (89.50), and Nathan Woodall (91.5). USF did lose a talented group of seniors including Academic All-American JJ Cooney, a four-time all-NSIC performer, Jacob Zosel and All-NSIC performer Brenden Bassing as that group led USF in scoring average. It was a team that placed in the top-five six times while finishing 15th at regionals and this year's group will look to continue to display that winning edge.
The 2021-22 NSIC Men's Golf schedule will commence in mid-September. USF opens the season at the Washburn Invitational, which will be held at the Topeka (Kan.) Country Club on Sept. 13-14. Later, the Cougars will be part of the three-round NSIC Men's Golf Championship next spring on April 14-16 at Adams Pointe Golf Club in Blue Springs, Missouri. However, this fall, the Cougars will play in five competitions.
