By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University men's golf team experienced significant success during the fall season and has earned national rankings as a result. Willamette is ranked #23 in the Golf World/Nike Golf NCAA Division III Coaches Poll and is listed at #18 in the Golfstat Relative Rankings.

Willamette won the Northwest Conference Fall Classic and also took first place at George Fox University's Culturame Men's Classic. The Bearcats shot 287-300--587 to win the NWC Fall Classic and carded 295-293--588 to finish first at the Culturame Men's Classic.

Ryan Kukula (Jr., Ocean Park, WA/Ilwaco HS) won medalist honors at both tournaments. In addition he earned second place at the Pacific Invitational and was second at the Linfield Invitational.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) held the #1 ranking in the NCAA Division III Coaches Poll with 10 first place votes and 382 points. Wittenberg University (Ohio) was listed #2 with two first place votes and 362 points. Oglethorpe University (Ga.) followed at #3 with one first place vote and 347 points.

The #4 team was Guilford College (N.C.) with 316 points, while St. John Fisher College (N.Y.) was ranked #5 with one first place vote and 310 points. Other teams receiving one first place vote were LaGrange College (Ga.) at #7 and the University of La Verne (Calif.) at #9.

Willamette was one of four teams that moved into the Top 25 in the final ranking of the fall season. Hampden-Sydney College (Va.) moved into the poll at #18, while Schreiner University (Texas) debuted at #22 and Concordia University (Texas) gained its first ranking at #24.

In the Golfstat Relative Rankings for NCAA Division III, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps was #1 with the University of Redlands (Calif.) at #2. Redlands was #6 in the Coaches Poll.

Also listed in the top 5 of the Relative Rankings were Wittenberg at #3, Guilford at #4 and LaGrange at #5. The Relative Rankings are computed for every team in NCAA Division III and are designed to show the strength of each team in relation to all of the other teams. CMS is ranked higher than all 273 other teams, while Redlands is ranked higher than 272 teams.

Teams with similar rankings may share the same comparative record, but all ties are broken.

The top 25 of the Relative Rankings included four West Coast Teams. CMS and Redlands led the way, with La Verne at #12 and Willamette at #18.

Willamette was the only team from the NWC listed in either of the top 25 rankings.