SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The North Dakota State men's golf program was tabbed with a first-place finish in the 2023 Summit League Men's Golf Preseason Coaches Poll, announced the league office Thursday afternoon following a vote of the league's head coaches.
The Bison received eight of nine possible first-place votes and tallied 77 total points, as they were picked first overall in the 10-team league ahead of Oral Roberts with 70 points and Denver with 69 points. Oral Roberts and Denver each picked up one first-place vote. The Bison finished the Summit League championship last season in second place behind Denver by one shot.
During the fall semester, the Bison claimed three tournament victories and never finished worse than fifth, adding a second and a third as well. Three Bison have also picked up individual victories. Defending Summit League Championship medalist
Nate Deziel and
Nate Adams each have a victory on the season, along with Summit League Golfer to Watch
Ian Simonich.
Simonich was selected as one of 10 golfers to watch after a dominating fall semester that included five top-10 finishes, three top-five finishes, a victory at the NDSU Fall Invitational and a scoring average of 70.65 (-1), the best for the Bison. Simonich has defeated 91.9 percent of the competition he has faced on the season, also tops for the Bison.
NDSU Men's Golf is slated to begin its spring season on February 18-19 at The Savannah Intercollegiate hosted at The Club at Savannah Harbor in Georgia. The Summit League Championship will be April 30-May 2 at the Wilderness Ridge G.C. in Lincoln, Nebraska.
2023 Men's Golf Preseason Poll
1. North Dakota State - 77 (8)
2. Oral Roberts - 70 (1)
3. Denver - 69 (1)
4. Kansas City - 56
T5. St. Thomas - 43
T5. South Dakota State - 43
T7. Omaha - 33
T7. South Dakota - 33
9 North Dakota - 17
10. Western Illinois - 9
First-place vote in parentheses
2023 Men's Golfers to Watch
Parker Govern // Western Illinois
Carson Griggs // Denver
Brandon Hoff // Oral Roberts
Ty Kretz // South Dakota State
Matt Raab // St. Thomas
Joshuaa Robards // Kansas City
Kurtis Rodriguez // Omaha
Max Schmidtke // South Dakota
Ian Simonich // North Dakota State
Grayson Wetch // North Dakota
