Men's Golf | 8/29/2019 3:30:00 PM

    BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – The West Liberty University men's golf squad is once again expected to fight for Mountain East Conference supremacy according to the annual preseason poll released on Thursday by the league's coaches.
    Coach Mike Ricci's perennial Atlantic Region powerhouse checked in as a solid No. 2 in the voting behind defending conference champion Charleston.
    Ricci welcomes back four of his top five starters – including MEC Freshman of the Year and All-Region standout Alex Easthom – from last year's MEC runner-up squad that went on to earn its sixth consecutive NCAA Division II Tournament berth.
    The Golden Eagles, who also return a veteran crew, collected nine of the 10 first-place votes and 81 points to lead the balloting. West Liberty got the other first-place vote and 70 points to outdistance Concord (62) for second place. Davis & Elkins (53) and Fairmont State (52) rounded out the top five.
    West Virginia Wesleyan was sixth with 45 points, followed by Urbana (32), Glenville State (24), Notre Dame (23) and West Virginia State (10).
    Coach Shane Rice's Lady Hilltoppers were picked to finish ninth in the MEC women's golf poll.
    Charleston, which returns every starter from last year's MEC title team, was No. 1 with eight first-place votes and 80 points. Notre Dame received the other two first-place votes and 74 points as a clear-cut No. 2. Wheeling (6), West Virginia Wesleyan (55) and Fairmont State (54) completed the top five.
    Concord and Davis & Elkins were tied for sixth place with 36 points, followed by Urbana (27), West Liberty (18) and Glenville State (10).
    The WLU men open the 2019-20 season Sept. 6-7 at the Tannehauf Classic in Alliance, Ohio. The Lady Hilltoppers also debut on Sept. 6-7 at the Evan Parker Memorial in North East, Pa.
  1. Charleston (9)                                     81
2. WEST LIBERTY (1)                              70
3. Concord                                                62
4. Davis & Elkins                                      53
5. Fairmont State                                    52
6. W.Va. Wesleyan                                 45
7. Urbana                                                  32
8. Glenville State                                     24
9. Notre Dame                                         23
10. W.Va. State                                       10 1. Charleston (8)                                     80
2. Notre Dame (2)                                   74
3. Wheeling                                              60
4. W.Va. Wesleyan                                 55
5. Fairmont State                                    54
6. Davis & Elkins                                      36
(tie) Concord                                            36
8. Urbana                                                  27
9. WEST LIBERTY                                     18
10. Glenville State                                   10