FARMINGTON, Utah (January 29, 2020) – The Northern Arizona golf team picked up a first-place vote and was voted third in the 2020 Big Sky Preseason Poll released by the conference office on Wednesday. The league's coaches could not vote for their own team.
The Lumberjacks are coming off a seventh-place finish at last year's Big Sky Championship, but they do return all five of their golfers who competed at the conference championship led by sophomore
Aleksandra Chekalina.
Sacramento State, the defending conference champions, was the unanimous preseason favorite receiving all 10 possible first-place votes for a total of 100 points in the poll. Idaho was slotted second with 79 points, a single point ahead of NAU's 78 in third place. The 'Jacks received the lone remaining first-place vote.
Eastern Washington was fourth, followed up Portland State and Southern Utah in the upper half of the poll. Northern Colorado, Weber State, Montana State, Montana and Idaho State rounded out the seventh through 11th spots.
Chekalina, an All-Big Sky Third Team selection and member of the 2019 All-Tournament Team, was NAU's high finisher last spring at the conference championship, tying for fifth at two-over par 218 (72-72-74).
Thus far this season, Chekalina has NAU's second-lowest scoring average of 75.40 through five fall tournaments – just behind sophomore
Ashley Croft's average of 75.20.
NAU's lineup throughout the fall primarily consisted of Croft, Chekalina, sophomore
Elle Kocourkova, senior
Emma Reyes and freshman
Alyza Flores. All but Kocourkova played in all five tournaments with Kocourkova competing in four.
The Lumberjacks' fall season was highlighted by a third-place finish at the Hobble Creek Fall Classic and fourth-place finish at the Aggie Invitational.
NAU's spring season begins in Las Vegas at the Rebel Beach Intercollegiate on Feb. 17-18. The tournament will be one of five slated for the 'Jacks before they compete at the Big Sky Championship from April 20-22 in Scottsdale, Ariz. at Talking Stick Golf Club.
2020 Big Sky Women's Golf Preseason Poll (First-Place Votes in Parentheses)
