BURNSVILLE, Minn. - The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) has released the 2019-20 NSIC Women's Golf Preseason Coaches Poll, with Concordia-St. Paul selected third out of the 12 programs in the conference as voted on by the league's head women's golf coaches.

Concordia secured 91 points, matching Sioux Falls to tie for third in the preseason rankings. While the third place spot is deadlocked, the Golden Bears and Cougars will be looking up at a pair of programs that are nearly deadlocked at the top entering the season, as well. Augustana and Minnesota State each received six first place votes, splitting the league's 12 number one tallies but Augustana (114) edged out the Mavericks (113) in total points for the top spot. After CSP and USF in the third place tie is Minot State with 82 points in fifth before a larger gap to sixth place Bemidji State (62).

Coming off a sixth place finish at the NSIC Women's Golf Championships last spring, the Golden Bears look to jump back up in the league and regional landscape this fall.

Returning for the team is junior Erika Olson, who was named to the 2018-19 All-NSIC Second Team after tying for fifth place at the conference championships last year to secure NSIC All-Tournament Team honors. Olson holds a career scoring average of 83.7, which ranks her 10th in CSP history. She led the team with the best individual low round of the 2018-19 season, shooting a 73 at the Central Region Preview as a sophomore. Her 81.5 season average placed her 14th among conference golfers across 19 rounds on the league's season average leaderboard.

In addition to Olson, the team will welcome back sophomore Lexi Partington, who was also a league top-20 golfer with the 16th-ranked average at 81.7 and was voted the NSIC Newcomer of the Year. The duo, combined with three other returners and three incoming freshmen, will look to replace the production from NCAA regional individual qualifier Sophie Hill, a three-time All-NSIC performer and the program record holder for career scoring average (79.91).

Last year's squad put together a team 328.0 average score, the sixth best in school history.

The women's golf team reported to campus and began fall practice earlier this week in advance of its season opening tournament at the Tracy Lane Memorial hosted by Bemidji State University at Bemidji Town and Country Club on September 9-10.
 

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NSIC WOMEN'S GOLFER TO WATCH
Erika Olson (Jr., Spring Lake Park, Minn. / Spring Lake Park HS)

• Named of the 2018-19 All-NSIC Second Team
• Tied for 5th place at the conference championships earning her NSIC All-Tournament Honors
• Named NSIC Golfer of the Week (10/18/18)
• Ranked 14th in the Northern Sun with an 81.5 season average
• Holds a career scoring average of 83.7 ranking her 10th in CSP history
• Shot the teams best individual low round of the season (73) during the Central Region Preview