Florida Tech Golf Opens At No. 20 In Preseason Coaches Poll

By  //  September 3, 2015

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After reaching the postseason in 2014-15 for the fifth consecutive time under head coach Chris Saltmarsh, the Florida Tech Panthers will enter 2015-16 with plenty of reason to believe that number will jump to six in a row. (FIT Image)

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – After reaching the postseason in 2014-15 for the fifth consecutive time under head coach Chris Saltmarsh, the Florida Tech Panthers will enter 2015-16 with plenty of reason to believe that number will jump to six in a row.

Coaches across the country certainly believe so as well, as the Panthers debuted at No. 20 in the Bushnell Golfweek Preseason Division II Coaches Poll.

Both Brandon Shelley and Gaelen Trew will be focal points on a Florida Tech roster that must replace three seniors, including three-time All-American Ray Badenhorst, from last year’s squad that finished 12th at the NCAA South/Southeast Regional.

As a freshman, Trew tied for 33rd at the NCAA Championship after becoming the first individual to qualify for the tournament in program history.

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Defending national champ Nova Southeastern earned the top spot in the polls, collecting 16 out of a possible 19 first-place votes.

Fellow Sunshine State Conference members Lynn and Barry captured the three remaining first-place votes, ranking second and fourth respectively. In all, six teams from the SSC cracked the top-25, while Rollins is among others receiving votes.

Florida Tech will tee-off the fall portion of its schedule at Columbus State’s Cougar Invitational on Sept. 20.