SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The South Dakota State men's golf team was picked to finish fourth in the Summit League preseason poll released by the conference office Wednesday.
Luke Honner was named SDSU's golfer to watch.
Honner, a sophomore, had the second-leading stroke average among Summit League golfers this fall at 71.33. He tallied nine rounds under par of 12 played in the fall with a runner-up finish at the Throw Down Up Top. Last season, Honner led the Jackrabbits at the Summit League Championship with a 14th-place finish.
Oral Roberts was picked to win the 2024 Summit League Championship in April. The Golden Eagles were one of three teams to receive first-place tallies as they edged North Dakota State after collecting 59 total points to earn the top spot in the poll voted on by the League's nine head coaches.
ORU secured six first-place votes in total, while the Bison collected two and finished second with 55 points. The Golden Eagles will be looking to claim their eighth overall championship and first since 2010, while the Bison are seeking their second team title and first since 2018.
Kansas City was tabbed third, earning the remaining first-place vote as the Roos finished with 53 points. The Roos won the team title a season ago, which was their third overall and first since rejoining the conference prior to the 2019-20 campaign, after rallying from a seven-stroke deficit entering the final round.
South Dakota State took fourth with 41 points, while Denver was fifth with 32 points. St. Thomas was pegged to finish sixth with 28 points and South Dakota followed the Tommies in seventh with 26 points. Omaha, who is under the guidance of first-year head coach Joey Baldwin, claimed eighth in the poll with 19 points and North Dakota rounded out the poll with 11 points.
The Jackrabbits open their spring slate February 25-27 at the Loyola Intercollegiate in Phoenix.
-GoJacks.com-