By Charlie McGuire, Athletics Communications Assistant
SALEM, Ore. – The Willamette University men's golf team is ranked #16 in the most recent Bushnell/Golfweek NCAA Division III Coaches Poll released by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA). Willamette moved up one spot from the previous poll and will head to the 2022 NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championship, which will be held May 10-13 at the Mission Inn Resort and Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida.
The Bearcats received the Northwest Conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship after winning their third consecutive NWC Championship (2019, 2021, 2022). Willamette claimed the title by placing first in the NWC Fall Classic, second at the NWC Spring Classic and winning the NWC Tournament this past weekend at the Creekside Golf Club in Salem, Oregon.
Austin Davis (Sr., Culver City, CA/Culver City HS) won the individual title at the tournament with a 36-hole score of 142 and was named the NWC Player of the Year while earning First Team All-Conference honors. He was joined on the First Team by classmates Andrew Kibbee (Sr., Kenmore, WA/Bothell HS) and Alex Weirth (Sr., Port Orchard, WA/Crosspoint Academy). First-year Paxton Jones (Wellington, NZ/Scots College) earned Second Team recognition. Willamette Head Coach Patrick Daugherty was named the NWC Coach of the Year for the third straight season. Riley Lankford (Sr., Pilot Rock, OR/Pilot Rock HS) had a strong showing as well, tying for 12th in the individual standings.
Methodist University (N.C.) retained the #1 ranking with 424 points, earning 16 of 17 first place votes in the poll. Emory University remained second with 408 points, claiming the other first place vote. Huntingdon College (Ala.) held its spot at #3 (385 points) while Wittenberg University (Ohio) moved up into a tie at #4 with Babson College (Mass.), each with 351. Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.) was just one point behind Wittenberg and Babson at #6 with 350.