Defending Champion CMS Women's Golf Picked Second in SCIAC Preseason Poll

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The defending SCIAC champion Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's golf team was picked to finish second in 2020 in a vote of the league's coaches, the SCIAC office announced today.

Redlands earned the top spot after a strong fall season which saw the Bulldogs earn a No. 1 ranking nationally in the GolfStat computer rankings. The Bulldogs earned 60 points and five first-place votes, while CMS was in second with 54 points and two first-place votes. Pomona-Pitzer was one spot behind with 53 points and the final first-place vote, while Cal Lutheran (38), Chapman (30), Whittier (25), Occidental (20) and La Verne (8) rounded out the poll. 

CMS and Redlands met up twice in the fall season, with Redlands finishing ahead of the Athenas at their own Bulldog Invitational, while CMS won the second meeting in a tri-match with Chapman at Tustin Ranch. At the Bulldog Invitational, CMS shook off a tough opening-round 310 to shoot a 289 on day two (+1) moving up to a second-place finish. 

In the rematch at the one-day Tustin Challenge, CMS ended with a 301 to edge Redlands by four strokes. First-year Grace Lu led the way with an even-par 72. Senior Emily Attiyeh, who had a 69 in one of the SCIAC regular season tournaments last year, also performed well at the Tustin Challenge with a 75, while senior Emma Kang and junior Mira Yoo, a returning All-America selection, had 77s. 

CMS concluded its fall season with a second-place finish at the Embry-Riddle Co-Ed Invitational in Arizona, as Lu had another strong effort, finishing in the red with a 71 on her final round to finish in third place. Kang was seventh, while first-years Noelle Song (11th) and Lucy Bloomstran (15th) earned top-15 finishes as well. 

Heading into the spring schedule, CMS is ranked No. 5 nationally in Division III by the Women's Golf Coaches Association, while Redlands (No. 2) and Pomona-Pitzer (No. 8) are also in the top 10 representing the SCIAC. Carnegie Mellon earned the top spot, while WashU is in third and George Fox is in fourth. A year ago, CMS finished fourth at the NCAA Division III Championships, behind only NYU, Williams and Methodist, who are ranked No. 9, No. 7 and No. 6, respectively. 

CMS opens its spring season when it hosts a dual match with Chapman on Friday, Feb. 7 at Via Verde, which will also be the site of the first SCIAC regular season tournament on Feb. 22-23.