Arkansas Tech edges Southeastern, Henderson as GAC men’s golf favorite

RUSSELLVILLE — Arkansas Tech and Southeastern Oklahoma State enter the fall portion of the

2018-19 men’s golf season atop the Great American Conference coaches’ preseason poll with Henderson State picked third.

The conference office made the announcement on Thursday, three months after Tech and Southeastern placed inside the top 10 of the 2018 NCAA Division II Men’s Golf Championships in Muscle Shoals, Ala. They joined Barry, Florida Southern, Lynn and West Florida as the only programs in Division II to qualify for the match play portion of the National Championships in each of the past two seasons.

Arkansas Tech return three of the five golfers that competed at the NCAA Championships in All-American Austin Gean, Second-Team All-GAC selection Shawn Tsai and Kellen Gray, as well as GAC Freshman of the Year Jackson Marseilles. The Wonder Boys claimed four first-place votes and finished with 76 points, three points clear of the Savage Storm.

Southeastern brings back a pair of All-GAC First Team selections in Zach James and Hayden Foster. James added GAC Player of the Year, GAC Championships medalist, Ping All-American and Nicklaus Award finalist to his postseason accolades. Foster totaled four

top-10 finishes.

The Reddies return all five players who competed

at the 2018 GAC Tournament and NCAA Central Regional in the spring. Henderson received 65 total votes and three firstplace ballots.

Henderson’s men’s golf program is the only team in GAC history in any sport, men’s or women’s, to win five consecutive league titles. The fifth came in April at the Hot Springs Country Club.

Since the arrival of head coach Forrest Schultz in 2013-14, the Reddies have never failed to win the GAC crown, but have never been selected as the preseason favorite. Henderson has also been to six straight NCAA regionals.

Harding and Southwestern Oklahoma State were tied for fourth place with 55 points to lead the rest of the poll. Other teams in the poll were Oklahoma Baptist, 35 points; Southern Arkansas, 31; Southern Nazarene, 25; Northwestern Oklahoma State, 19; and Arkansas-Monticello, 16.

The GAC’s 2018-19 golf season begins on Sept. 3 when the Wonder Boys and Savage Storm head to West Virginia for Charleston’s Glad Spring Intercollegiate. The bulk of the GAC tees it up for the first time the following week as Monticello, Oklahoma Baptist, Southern Arkansas and Southern Nazarene join Southeastern at the GAC Preview.

Harding, Henderson State and Southwestern will trek north to Central Missouri for the Mule Invitational.