West Central Reporter

The Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) has announced its preseason polls for men's and women's golf. Western Illinois University's men's team was ranked 8th out of 11 teams, while the women's team secured the 4th spot among nine.

Lia Biehl Lukkarinen, Director of Golf at Western Illinois University, expressed optimism about the upcoming season for the men's team. "I'm excited to see them build on some performances from last fall," she stated. The team will participate in a new event in Texas and compete at a new venue for their first OVC Championship. Key players include senior David Ayala, who previously won a tournament at the WIU Intercollegiate at TPC Deere Run, and junior Luke Lofgren, who achieved a top finish of T-12 at the Valpo Fall Invitational.

The women's team gathered 41 points in the preseason poll. Lukkarinen commented on their preparation: "The team is prepping indoors until the weather cooperates!" She looks forward to their progress as they begin their spring season in Arizona in February. Senior Natalie Hooper, who set a record with a round of 69 and finished in the top ten at last fall's Big O Classic, leads the women’s team.

The men's predicted order of finish placed Little Rock first with 100 points and 10 first-place votes. SIUE followed with 88 points and one first-place vote, while UT Martin came third with 84 points. On the women's side, Morehead State topped the list with five first-place votes and 61 points, narrowly beating Little Rock's four first-place votes and 60 points.