University of Houston Athletics
Houston Receives Votes in Coaches’ Preseason National Poll
9/4/2018 5:31:00 PM | Women's Golf
Cougars earn 16 points in first poll of 2018-19 season, open at Mason Rudolph Championship on Sept. 21-23
The Cougars' point total ranked 34th nationally among all teams receiving votes.
UCLA received nine first-place votes to earn 521 points and stand atop the poll. No. 2 Alabama led the way with 12 first-place votes and was only one point behind the Bruins with Arkansas (502), Stanford (467) and Duke (432) rounding out the top-five leaders.
ABOUT THE COUGARS
Under the leadership of Head Coach Gerrod Chadwell, the Cougars finished No. 29 in the final Golfstat and Golfweek national rankings a year ago.
The Cougars return five letterwinners from the 2017-18 team, which posted five Top-Three finishes under Chadwell, who was recognized as the 2018 American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. Leonie Harm returns for her senior season after earning WGCA All-America Honorable Mention honors, a first in program history.
The 2018 American Athletic Conference Player of the Year qualified for the NCAA Championships as an individual for the second time in her career after clinching a spot in a playoff with a school-record 65 in the Final Round and winning on the seventh hole at the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional.
Standing at No. 17 in the latest World's Amateur Golf Rankings, Harm continued her stellar play during the summer. She captured the Ladies British Open Amateur Championship title in late June and competed in the Ricoh Women's British Open as an amateur in early August, the first major championship appearance by a Cougar in program history.
Harm recently represented her native Germany while competing in the World Amateur Team Championships in Ireland.
Yuka Kajiki returns for her senior season. A two-time All-American Athletic Conference performer, Kajiki led the Cougars with a 74.33 scoring average and 10 rounds of par or better as a sophomore in 2015-16.
WGCA NCAA DIVISION I COACHES' POLL
| Rk. | School (1st-place votes) | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | UCLA (9) | 521 |
| 2. | Alabama (12) | 520 |
| 3. | Arkansas (1) | 502 |
| 4. | Stanford | 467 |
| 5. | Duke | 432 |
| 6. | USC | 414 |
| 7. | Arizona | 410 |
| 8. | Texas | 379 |
| 9. | South Carolina | 312 |
| 10. | Arizona State | 301 |
| 11. | Northwestern | 290 |
| 12. | Florida | 289 |
| 13. | Kent State | 277 |
| 14. | Furman | 260 |
| 15. | Florida State | 254 |
| 16. | Washington | 212 |
| 17. | Wake Forest | 208 |
| 18. | Michigan State | 160 |
| 19. | Oklahoma State | 150 |
| 20. | Baylor | 123 |
| 21. | Auburn | 122 |
| 22. | Clemson | 85 |
| 23. | Colorado | 59 |
| 24. | Oklahoma | 57 |
| 25. | Vanderbilt | 49 |
Receiving Votes: Louisville (46), North Carolina (43), Illinois (30), Miami (Fla.) (25), Georgia (23), Purdue (22), Ohio State (19), Virginia (19), Houston (16), UNLV (12), Houston Baptist (10), Evansville (7), Oregon (7), Michigan (5), Mississippi (5), San Diego State (4), Iowa State (3) NC State (1).
JOIN THE P.A.R. 4 CLUB
Fans are invited to join The P.A.R. 4 Club to support Houston Women's Golf. P.A.R. 4 Club members provide financial support directly to Houston Women's Golf for needs beyond the program's operating budget.
Fans who join the P.A.R. 4 Club can begin receiving benefits for as little as $100 annually.
To join the P.A.R. 4 Club, fans can call 713-743-9417 or email gchadwel@central.uh.edu. For more information about the P.A.R. 4 Club, levels of giving and benefits, fans can click here.
STAY CONNECTED
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Players Mentioned
