CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland State men's golf team has been selected as the preseason favorite in the Horizon League Preseason Men's Golf poll that was released on Thursday afternoon.
The CSU women's squad was picked third in the preseason poll.
The men's team, which has won back-to-back Horizon League titles and six of the last 10 overall, received four first place votes and 45 votes to finish at the top of the poll. Wright State had two first place votes and 39 points to finish second, while Youngstown State was third with 37 points.
Oakland earned the final two first place votes and 36 points to place fourth, while Northern Kentucky (22 points), Valparaiso (19), Detroit (18) and Green Bay (8) rounded out the poll.
On the women's side, defending League champion Youngstown State and Oakland each received four first place votes and 46 points to tie for the top spot. CSU was third with 34 points and was followed by Northern Kentucky (30), Green Bay (25), Detroit (18), UIC (17) and Valparaiso (8).
On the men's side, ninth year head coach Steve Weir returns four players who competed at the NCAA regionals last year and will add several underclassmen and a newcomer who hope to fill the void.
The quartet of senior Mitchell Moore, juniors Patrick Luth and Paul Minko and sophomore Joey Krecic. spent a majority of time in CSU's lineup last season, including at the Horizon League Championship and NCAA regionals.
In addition, senior Michael Bishop, sophomores Matt McAdoo and Blake Prince and freshman Anton Krecic - Joey's younger brother - will attempt to fill out the lineup.
Weir and first-year associate head coach Ann Ciavarella welcome back a strong core of players on the women's side, including senior Allyson Hackman who has been named to the All-Horizon League first team in each of the last two seasons.
Also back are senior Madison Lomas and sophomores Hannah Bennie, Sophie Kelner and Emily Turski, while freshmen Haley Newman and Rayna Oosterhuis are newcomers to the program.
The women's team opens the spring season this weekend when the Vikings play Youngstown State in a dual on Sunday (Feb. 7) in Orlando, Fla.
The men's squad begins the season on Feb. 22-23 at the Wexford Intercollegiate in Hilton Head, SC.
