Montana golf slated to finish fifth in poll
2/11/2009 12:00:00 AM | Golf
The University of Montana women???s golf team was picked for a fifth-place finish in the Big Sky Conference preseason coaches??? poll the league office announced Wednesday.
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Northern Arizona University was selected to win the 2009 BSC women???s golf championship with five first-place votes and 59 points.
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Defending champion Portland State University was selected to finish second, earning two first-place votes and 53 points.
Sacramento State, with 50 points, and Eastern Washington, with 45, each earned one first-place vote to be projected at third and fourth.??
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Montana earned the fifth place slot with 36 points followed by Northern Colorado, Montana State, Weber State and Idaho State respectively.
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Head coach Joanne Steele commented that in her opinion, ???the preseason polls don???t stand for a lot. I make sure that my players understand that.
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???We have to practice indoors all winter and ultimately we will take our first four tournaments this spring to prepare to peak for the championship. I want each player to continue to grow mentally and physically so that they are in peak performance for the tournament come April.???
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NAU is ranked 113th in the nation according to Golfstat rankings which is makes the lumberjacks the best ranked team within the BSC. Highlighting the Lumberjacks is senior Ali Carter who finished in the top 10 at the conference tournament in both 2006 and 2007. Last fall Northern Arizona averaged 310.56 per round.
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Portland State captured the team title last season under the guidance of first-year coach Kathleen Takaishi. The Vikings averaged a league-best 308.64 strokes per round last spring. Junior Stephanie Johns will be one to watch this season after taking medalist honors in 2008 and led the Vikings to a team championship in the fall at the Bulldog/Eagle Invitational. Sophomore Alexia Brown also returns to lead the Vikings in 2009 after finishing ninth at the 2008 BSC Championship.
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Highlighting the Grizzlies is sophomore Carissa Simmons who finished third in the 2008 BSC Championship and led Montana to a fourth place finish.
The 2009 Big Sky Conference Championship will be played April 20-22 at the Ocotillo Golf Resort in Chandler, Ariz. This will be the first time the championship has been played at Ocotillo.
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Montana???s golf team will see its first action in 2009 at the Northern Arizona Red Rocks Invitational, held at the Oakcreek Country Club in Sedona Ariz., on Feb. 28-March 1.
