The Morehead State women's golf team, which finished fourth-or-better in four of five fall events, has been picked first in the Ohio Valley Conference's 2014 preseason poll. The Eagles received 79 total points and seven first-place votes from the league's head coaches.
"We are honored to be thought of so highly by our fellow competitors," Head Coach Stephanie Barker said. "Our young ladies work exceptionally well together and strive to be one of the best in our region. We are proud to be consistently ranked as one of the top teams in our league and the top 100 nationally."
Jacksonville State, which has won five of the last nine OVC titles, was picked second in the preseason poll with 71 points. Murray State collected 68 points for third place, while Eastern Kentucky (58) and Belmont (43) rounded out the top five.
Morehead State won the William and Mary Invitational in the fall and posted two runner-up finishes. The Eagles also recorded the league's second-best team score (301.9).
Morehead State has now been picked first each of the past two years. The Eagles placed fourth at the 2013 conference tournament, but only five strokes out of first place. Morehead State is scheduled to play in six tournaments this spring. The Eagles open the campaign March 10-11 when they travel to the North Florida Invitational in Jacksonville.
The OVC Championship will be held April 21-23. After four straight years at the GreyStone Golf Club in Dickson, Tenn., the tournament will move to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at The Shoals in Muscle Shoals, Ala. The event was last played there in 2008.
"The Ohio Valley Conference should be competitive again this spring," Barker added. "There are several teams that could win the league tournament, and we are thankful to be thought of as one of those programs. We're excited about our upcoming events."
