NORMAN, Okla. – The Valdosta State men's golf team, following its second-straight appearance in the NCAA postseason last spring, is 24^th in the Bushnell/Golfweek Division II Coaches Poll, announced Friday afternoon by the Golf Coaches Association of America.
 
Fellow Gulf South Conference member West Florida leads the preseason ranking with 397 points and four first-place votes, while defending national champion Arkansas Tech is second with 385 points and ten first-place nods.  National runner-up from the spring Georgia Southwestern is third (326), followed by Lynn (319) and Central Missouri rounds out the top five with 314 points and one first-place vote.  Barry sits sixth with 300 points and garnered the final first-place nod.  
 
Four of the top six teams in the preseason poll reside in the South Region, while a total of seven of the top ten are in either the South or Southeast Regions.  Indianapolis sits seventh, followed by Lincoln Memorial at eighth and GSC member Lee at ninth, while South Carolina Aiken rounds out the top ten.  
 
Saint Leo is 11^th, followed by Columbus State at 12^th, Florida Southern at 14^th, Georgia College at 16^th, Nova Southeastern at 17^th, North Georgia at 19^th and Limestone rounds out the top 20.  Young Harris sits 21^st, while Clayton State is 23^rd just ahead of VSU and Lander is tied for 25^th.  In all, 18 teams in the poll are from both regions combined.  Christian Brothers and West Georgia of the GSC are among others receiving votes.
 
The Blazers kick off the 2021-22 season at the Cougar Invitational, Sept. 27-28, in Columbus, Ga., at Green Island Country Club.  VSU is under the direction of Jared Purvis, who begins his 20^th season at the helm of the Blazers.  Purvis welcomes back a strong nucleus from last season, including graduate Wesley Hanson and junior Chase Weathers, who both earned numerous Academic All-America honors this past season and both earned all-conference honors.  
 
Purvis added talented freshmen in Zach Ashley (Killen, Ala.) and Chase Long of Stockbridge, Ga., coupled with seven players who competed last season.
 
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