Aug. 30, 2007
NEW YORK, N.Y. – The Vanderbilt women’s golf team enters the season number ten in the Golf World/NGCA Coaches’ poll, and Commodore junior Jacqui Concolino is number four on the NGCA’s “Top 50 Female Players To Watch” list in Golf World’s annual College Preview issue.
The Commodores, who finished sixth in last year’s NCAA Championships, returns five letterwinners from last year’s squad, including Concolino, who finished ninth as an individual at the NCAA’s. Most recently, she was named Team USA’s MVP in the 32nd Annual Fuji Xerox USA vs. Japan Collegiate Golf Championship in July at Tijeras Creek Golf Club in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.
Three-time defending champion Duke is the number one team in the Golf World/NGCA Division I Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Blue Devils received 26 of 29 first-place votes and will return two-time national player of the year, Amanda Blumenherst, and fellow junior All-American Jennie Lee.
Arizona State, which challenged Duke during the spring before finishing 13th at the NCAA Championship, is No. 2 in the poll. The Sun Devils, who received two first-place votes, will return All-Americans Anna Nordqvist, Jennifer Osborn and Azahara Munoz.
The only other team to get a first-place vote is UCLA, ranked No. 3. The Bruins will return All-American Tiffany Joh and bring in recent U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Maria Jose Uribe. Southern California and Auburn round out the top-five.
Vanderbilt will open its season hosting the Mason Rudolph Women’s Championship at the Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin, Tenn., September 14-16.
GOLF WORLD/NGCA COACHES’ POLL
Women’s Division I – Preseason Edition
RANK TEAM POINTS ’07 NCAA
1. Duke (26) 722 Win
2. Arizona State (2) 667 13th
3. UCLA (1) 630 3rd
4. Southern Cal. 596 4th
5. Auburn 553 9th
6. Pepperdine 547 7th
7. Purdue 539 2nd
8. Georgia 507 8th
9. Stanford 489 5th
10. Vanderbilt 487 6th
11. Oklahoma State 417 T-14
12. Tennessee 365 T-17
13. Arizona 348 T-14
14. Wake Forest 327 12th
15. Florida 311 DNP
16. BYU 239 T-17
17. North Carolina 224 21st
18. Denver 218 20th
19. Michigan State 175 16th
20. Texas A&M 174 DNP
21. TCU 145 11th
22. New Mexico 139 22nd
23. Virginia 123 DNP
24. Louisville 113 10th
25. Arkansas 103 DNP
Others receiving votes: Alabama, 73; UC-Irvine, 27; LSU, 28; California, 20; South Carolina, 20; Florida State, 15; San Jose State, 15; Kent State, 10; Nebraska, 8; Ohio State, 8; Indiana, 7; UNLV, 7; New Mexico State, 6; SMU, 5; Texas, 4; Missouri, 2; Washington, 2.