Men's Golf Picked Seventh In NEC Preseason Poll

EMMITSBURG, Md. – The Mount St. Mary's men's golf team has been picked seventh in the Northeast Conference (NEC) Preseason Coaches Poll, announced on Thursday.

Sacred Heart, the defending NEC champions, garnered six first-place votes to be selected as the preseason favorite. Central Connecticut State nabbed two first-place nods while Saint Francis (Pa.) and Robert Morris each earned the other two first-place selections to finish 2-3-4 in the poll. LIU Brooklyn, Monmouth, the Mount, Fairleigh Dickinson, Wagner and St. Francis (N.Y.) rounded out the 10-team poll.

The Mount is coming off a great fall slate after winning the ECAC Championships and placing second at the Rehoboth Beach Fall Invitational on Sept. 26 and the Holiday Inn Pittsburgh Airport Colonial Classic on Oct. 12.

Sophomore Kevin Ellison (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) won the ECAC Championship medalist honors and is averaging 75.6 strokes per round this season. Sophomore Devin O'Grady (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township), who was named to the NEC All-Tournament team last season after finishing ninth, leads the team with a 74.0 strokes per round average while sophomore Tony Aizpun (Barcelona, Spain/Lycee Francais De Barcelone) and senior Danny Michalek (Mount Airy, Md./Mount St. Joseph) are each averaging 75.3 strokes per round this season.

The Mount opens the spring slate at the Gary Freeman Bethune-Cookman Invitational on Feb. 28.