BURNSVILLE, Minn. – The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference released its 2026-27 Preseason Golf Coaches' Polls, with the University of Sioux Falls men's golf team picked to finish third and the women's golf team selected fifth. Sophomores Charlie Hanson and Gwen Latunski were named USF's NSIC Golfers to Watch.

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Men's Golf Picked Third

The Cougars enter the 2026-27 season with high expectations after tying for second at last spring's NSIC Championship with a lineup made up entirely of freshmen. That entire group returns for USF, giving head coach Wade Merry an experienced young core along with a talented incoming class.

Defending NSIC champion Winona State was picked to repeat, receiving eight first-place votes and 97 points. Concordia-St. Paul followed with 91 points and three first-place votes, while Sioux Falls was selected third. The conference expands to 11 men's golf programs this season with the addition of St. Cloud State.

"We finished in a tie for second last year in the NSIC Championship with a team consisting of five freshmen," Merry said. "All are back, as well as another from that class who missed the spring portion with a wrist injury. Plus, I brought in a class for this year that is just as talented  than the group last year. For the first time in my six years, I have a lot of depth, so qualifying just to make the traveling team is going to be really competitive. My expectations for this group are pretty high."

Hanson Named Golfer to Watch

Hanson returns for his sophomore season after putting together one of the top freshman campaigns in program history. The Morris, Minnesota, native was named the NSIC Newcomer of the Year and earned First Team All-NSIC honors while posting a 73.19 scoring average.

Hanson recorded one tournament victory, three top-five finishes and five top-10 finishes during his freshman campaign. He also made program history by becoming the first USF men's golfer to qualify as an individual for the NCAA Division II Central/Midwest Regional.

"Charlie was as good as I expected last year, earning Newcomer of the Year and First Team All-NSIC as a freshman, as well as qualifying for the NCAA Central Region Championship," Merry said. "Like a lot of guys on the roster, Charlie is a 'golf rat.' He loves to play and practice and works really hard on his game. More importantly, Charlie is an excellent student with a 4.0 GPA and a good leader on this team. I am expecting another outstanding year from him in 2026-27."

Winona State senior Javier Ramos Casariego was selected by the league's coaches as the NSIC Men's Golf Preseason Golfer of the Year.

The three-round NSIC Men's Golf Championship is scheduled for April 21-23 at Paradise Pointe Golf Complex in Smithville, Missouri.

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Women's Golf Selected Fifth

On the women's side, Sioux Falls was picked fifth as the Cougars return an experienced group looking to build off last season's fifth-place finish at the NSIC Championship.

USF brings back six golfers who have competed in nearly every tournament of their collegiate careers, including three seniors, four juniors and a sophomore. Merry also added a group of freshmen who will compete for spots in the lineup throughout the season.

"We have a very experienced team, with six golfers who have played in nearly every tournament since they stepped on campus," Merry said. "I have added some freshmen that I am excited about and hope they are ready for college competition. We did not have a good year in 2025-26 and really weren't competitive until late in the spring. Our fifth-place finish in the NSIC Championship was disappointing, so I hope that will be motivation with a lot better focus right from the start. Our schedule is not easy, so we are going to find out rather quickly just how much time and effort we spent playing this summer."

Defending conference champion Wayne State was selected as the NSIC preseason favorite for the first time in program history. The Wildcats received 11 first-place votes and 178 points, while Minnesota State was second with 157 points and the remaining three first-place votes.

Latunski Named Golfer to Watch

Latunski enters her sophomore season after making an immediate impact during her first year with the Cougars. She led USF in scoring average and captured an individual tournament title during her freshman campaign.

"Gwen was a pleasant surprise for me as a freshman," Merry said. "She won a tournament and posted the lowest scoring average on the team. What I like about Gwen is her approach to golf. She works really hard and wants to be the best. Gwen is just as good in the classroom, compiling a 3.98 GPA in her first year in the Nursing program. I think this season is going to be a breakout one for Gwen, where we are going to see her be more consistent overall, resulting in a much lower scoring average."

Concordia-St. Paul sophomore Addi Wood was voted the NSIC Women's Golf Preseason Golfer of the Year after earning NSIC Player and Newcomer of the Year honors last season.

The three-round NSIC Women's Golf Championship will be held April 16-18 at Adams Pointe Golf Complex in Blue Springs, Missouri.

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