WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - The Monmouth University women's golf team was tabbed to finish eighth in the Northeast Conference according to the NEC Women's Golf preseason poll, league officials announced Monday afternoon. With the Blue and White ending the last championship season in eighth place overall, the Hawks will look to finish the 2010 NEC Championships in the upper echelon of the conference with a handful of newcomers leading the way.
Receiving eight first-place votes, two-time defending champion Fairleigh Dickinson was selected as the 2010 Northeast Conference women's golf preseason favorite, according to a poll of the league's head coaches. Sacred Heart garnered one first-place nod to claim second, while Long Island and Saint Francis (PA) were selected third and fourth, respectively, with the Red Flash receiving the final first-place tally. Taking the fifth slot was Mount St. Mary's, followed by Central Connecticut State in sixth and Robert Morris in seventh. Monmouth, St. Francis (NY) and Wagner rounded out the field of 10.
Monmouth's ninth-year head coach Sherri McDonald welcomes three freshman contenders who have already earned their (Blue & White) stripes by leading the contingent in three fall tournaments. Kelsi Kavanagh (Point Pleasant, NJ/Point Pleasant Boro), Autumn Yun (Dayton, NJ/South Brunswick) and Rachel Werner (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown West) are the trio that claimed the fall top honors for the Hawks. Kavanagh (88.5), Yun (89.5), and Werner (90.4) ended their first collegiate fall season of golf one, two, and three on the squad. Most notable of their performances includes a 15th-place finish at the Knights Golf Invitational on Oct. 26-27.
Kelly Reilly (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) will bring her three years of experience in hopes of elevating the Hawks into an NEC contender. She placed 39th at last season's NEC Championship.
The Hawks, in their 11th season in program history, will be looking for their first team title in MU history with their best team finishes coming in 2003-04 and 2004-05 when both teams finished third overall.
The 2010 NEC Women's Golf Tournament will be held at ChampionsGate Golf Club in ChampionsGate, FL from April 23-25. Team scores will be compiled by adding the team's four lowest scores from each day. The top-10 finishers will be designated all-NEC performers.
Monmouth will open up spring championship season action on March 7th through March 9th when they travel to Savannah, Ga. for the LIU hosted Lonnie Barton Invitational. Tee time is set for 8:00 a.m.
2010 Northeast Conference
Women's Golf Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Fairleigh Dickinson (8)
2. Sacred Heart (1)
3. Long Island
4. Saint Francis (PA) (1)
5. Mount St. Mary's
6. Central Connecticut State
7. Robert Morris
8. Monmouth
9. St. Francis (NY)
10. Wagner
First place votes in parentheses ( ).
