Defending National Champion CMS Women's Golf Tied for First in Preseason WGCA Poll

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's golf team, which captured the program's first-ever national championship last spring, was the co-leader in the preseason Women's Golf Coaches Association Division III poll, which was released today.

The Athenas shared the top spot in the poll with Williams, with each program receiving 339 points. CMS received eight first place votes, with Williams getting five, and third-place finisher George Fox (323) getting the other. NYU and Whitman closed out the top five in the poll. 

It was perhaps fitting that CMS and Williams shared the top spot in the preseason poll, as the two programs finished the regulation four rounds tied at the NCAA Division III Championships last year. The Athenas and Ephs had a stalemate on the first playoff hole, and nearly again on the second, but graduated senior Margaret Loncki, who was also the individual winner at the Division III championships (+11), sank a 15-foot putt to give CMS the national title. 

Although Loncki graduated, the rest of the CMS squad that competed in the national championship returns, led by sophomore Mira Yoo, who finished sixth last year at +19 over four rounds, including a clutch 74 (+1) on the final round to help force the playoff. Senior Kelly Ransom, junior Emma Kang and sophomore Emily Attiyeh are also back from the five-member NCAA Championship team. 

Overall, 11 of the 13 players from last season's roster are back, along with six first-year Athenas, to give the program a very deep 17-player squad heading into the new season. 

To view the complete WGCA Coaches poll, go to the following link:

WGCA Preseason Coaches Poll