Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University men’s golf team has been picked to repeat as Ohio Valley Conference champions in a vote league coaches.
Meanwhile, the Lady Govs golf team was picked to tie for sixth on the women’s side.
On the men’s side Austin Peay received 8 of 11 first-place points to finish with the most points (96). That was eight points better than second-place Belmont who received the other three first-place votes (88 points).
A season ago Austin Peay claimed its eighth overall OVC men’s golf championship and first since the 2009 season, defeating second-place Jacksonville State by nine shots in a rain-shortened event at GreyStone Golf Club in Dickson, TN.
During the fall the Govs played a competitive schedule and never finished outside the top five of the team rankings. APSU took first place at the Bearcat Invitational and ended the fall with a second-place finish at its own tournament.
The F&M Bank APSU Intercollegiate. Other than departed senior Dustin Korte, the Governors return the entire roster from a team that finished seventh in the NCAA Regional in Tempe, AZ, tying with Duke and beating programs such as Clemson, North Carolina and Vanderbilt.
Senior Anthony Bradley, the 2013 OVC Medalist, was named OVC Golfer of the Week twice during the fall and leads the team with a 72.1 stroke average. Also back is senior Marco Iten, who six Top-10 finishes in 2012-13, including a second and two thirds.
Belmont, which finished fourth in its first OVC Championship a season ago, won a pair of tournament titles in the fall while sophomore Ashton Van Horne leads the OVC in stroke average (71.0).
On the women’s side the Lady Govs will challenge with a youthful squad. The Lady Govs have just two seniors, Rachel Deaton and Tala Mumford, but also return sophomore Jessica Cathey, who earned All-OVC honors as a freshman.
Jacksonville State received two first-place votes and 71 points to be tabbed second while Murray State picked up the final first-place vote and was picked third (68). Defending champion Eastern Kentucky was picked fourth (58) and followed by Belmont (43), Austin Peay and Tennessee Tech (40 apiece), SIU Edwardsville (24), Eastern Illinois (18) and Tennessee State (9).
After four years in Dickson, Tennessee, the OVC Men’s and Women’s Championships will move to The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at The Shoals in Muscle Shoals, AL. The OVC held the women’s championship there in 2008 and the men’s championship in 2009. This year’s women’s championship will be held on April 21st-23rd while the men’s championship is set for April 25th-27th.
