FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Following its 11
th consecutive NCAA Super Regional Appearance a year ago, head coach Chris Carlin and Nova Southeastern will once again head into the fall with plenty of expectations - and for good reason - after capturing the No. 11 spot in the Preseason Bushnell Golfweek Division II Coaches' Poll.
The Sharks will look to fill the void left by three-time All-American
Richard Mansell, but return a wealth of talent and experience, including
Juan Jose Guerra and
Finlay Mason. Guerra earned Club 60 honors by Golfweek last year as a sophomore after firing an 11-under 60 in the second round of the Battle of the Shores. The national recognition is only the 12
th among all collegiate golfers since 1999, 10 of those coming from the Division I ranks. Meanwhile, Mason recorded seven Top-25 finishes in 11 tournament appearances in 2016-17, tying for second at the GolfRank Invitational last October.
"I speak for my coaching staff and all our players when I say we are very excited for this upcoming season and can't wait to get going," said Carlin. "We have a great group of players returning and four very talented newcomers. We are a much deeper and stronger team overall, and it will be fun to challenge and climb the rankings."
Further proving itself as the premier league in Division II golf, the Sunshine State Conference landed seven teams within the year's first rankings. Joining Nova Southeastern in the poll is Florida Southern, Barry, Lynn, Florida Tech, Saint Leo and Rollins. Florida Southern owns the No. 1 ranking after hoisting the national championship trophy in 2017.
"It feels great to be a part of the SSC with seven of the Top-25 teams in the country coming out of our conference," Carlin added. "We kick off in the middle of September and will be counting down the days till the season is officially underway."
The complete Top-25 rankings are provided below.
Bushnell Golfweek Division II Coaches Poll – Preseason
| Rank |
University (First-Place Votes) |
Points |
NCAA Finals Finish |
| 1 |
Florida Southern (9) |
429 |
Champion |
| 2 |
West Florida (7) |
417 |
Semifinals |
| 3 |
Barry |
396 |
Quarterfinals |
| 4 |
Lynn (2) |
384 |
Runner-Up |
| 5 |
Florida Tech |
366 |
Quarterfinals |
| 6 |
Newberry |
298 |
Quarterfinals |
| 7 |
North Alabama |
270 |
9 |
| 8 |
California Baptist |
246 |
T10 |
| 9 |
CSU Monterey Bay |
244 |
T10 |
| 10 |
Arkansas Tech |
226 |
Semifinals |
| 11 |
Nova Southeastern |
213 |
DNQ |
| 12 |
Ferris State |
188 |
Quarterfinals |
| 13 |
USC Aiken |
174 |
DNQ |
| 14 |
Central Missouri |
172 |
T14 |
| 15 |
Lee |
143 |
DNQ |
| 16 |
Saint Leo |
132 |
DNQ |
| 17 |
Lander |
131 |
DNQ |
| 18 |
Missouri - St. Louis |
114 |
DNQ |
| 19 |
CSU East Bay |
94 |
12 |
| 20 |
Chico State |
84 |
DNQ |
| 21 |
Lincoln Memorial |
76 |
DNQ |
| 22 |
Rollins |
65 |
DNQ |
| 23 |
Young Harris |
64 |
DNQ |
| T24 |
Stanislaus State |
61 |
T14 |
| T24 |
Western Washington |
61 |
16 |
Others Receiving Votes: Flagler, 60; Lindenwood, 58; Limestone, 51; Carson-Newman, 49; Columbus State, 42; Le Moyne, 38; Central Oklahoma, 36; St. Thomas Aquinas, 35; Valdosta State, 32; Charleston, 27; Georgia College, 26; Lemoyne-Owen, 24; CU-Colorado Springs, 22; Dallas Baptist, 20; Indianapolis, 19; Dominican (NY), 17; Sonoma State, 17; Belmont Abbey, 15; Grand Valley State, 14; Saginaw Valley State, 14; Southwestern Oklahoma State, 13; Washburn, 13; Shorter, 12; Winona State, 12; Colorado School of Mines, 11; Bentley, 10; St. Edward's, 10; Tiffin, 7; Bellarmine, 6; CSU San Marcos, 6; Henderson State, 6; Minnesota State-Mankato, 6; West Georgia, 6; West Liberty, 6; Coker, 5; Georgia Southwestern State, 4; Wilmington, 4; Oklahoma Christian, 3; St. Mary's (TX), 3; Minot State, 2; Missouri Western State, 1; Rogers State, 1
