SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Denver was pegged by The Summit League's nine head coaches to win the #SummitWGF Championship in April, marking the ninth straight year the Pioneers claimed that distinction. Summit League officials released its 2022 Women's Golf Preseason Poll and Golfers to Watch list Thursday.

The Pioneers, who have represented the league in the NCAA Tournament seven times since becoming a member in 2013-14, received six first-place votes to finish with 62 points. DU, who will be under the direction of first-year head coach Martha Richards, was followed closely by Oral Roberts. The Golden Eagles received the remaining three first-place votes to finish in second with 58 points.

South Dakota State was third with 49 points and, like the Pioneers, will be under the guidance of a first-year head coach in Mike Nagy.
North Dakota State took fourth with 39 points, South Dakota was fifth with 37 points, while Omaha (31), North Dakota (25), Western Illinois (12) and league newcomer St. Thomas rounded out the poll.

The 2022 Summit League Championship will return to Newton, Kan., for the third time and be played at the Sand Creek Station Golf Club on April 24-26.

2022 Women’s Golf  Preseason Poll

Program	Points
1. Denver	62 (6)
2. Oral Roberts	58 (3)
3. South Dakota State	49
4. North Dakota State	39
5. South Dakota	37
6. Omaha	31
7. North Dakota	25
8. Western Illinois	12
9. St. Thomas	11

First-place vote in parenthesesFirst-place vote in parentheses
  #SummitWGF Preseason Notes

• This is the ninth-consecutive season the Denver Pioneers have topped the preseason poll. DU has won six of the last seven #SummitGF Championships with North Dakota State winning the 2018 title. There was no Championship held in 2020.
• Three of five 2021 All-Summit League first-team selections return for the 2022 spring campaign, including a pair of Pioneers: sophomore Katarina Drocarova and junior Anna Zanusso. The DU duo is joined by Oral Roberts’ Isabella Caamal, who is a two-time all-league recipient (2^nd; 2019).
• Four of five selections are back from the 2021 All-Summit League second team. That quartet includes Denver’s Alyson Bean, who is a two-time honoree, South Dakota’s Danica Badura, South Dakota State’s Mia Seeman and Oral Roberts’ Sarah Bell, who was a first-team honoree in 2019.
• Bean (4^th), Zanusso (3^rd), Drocarova (t6th) all turned in top-10 finishes at the 2021 #SummitGF Championship to help the Pioneers cruise to an 18-stroke victory over South Dakota State.
• Zanusso is in line to be the top-returning finisher in the 2022 field after individual champion Teresa Toscano of South Dakota State and runner-up Mary Weinstein of Denver both graduated.
• Bell (t6th) and ORU teammate Megan Lee (5^th) along with South Dakota’s Badura (8^th) and the SDSU duo of Seeman (9^th) and Lani Potter (10^th) also return after posting top-10 finishes at Sand Creek Station.
• Bell posted the top stroke average among Summit League golfers in the fall at 69.9. She had four top-five finishes in four events, including a win at the Ozarks National Invitational.
• Bell’s efforts helped ORU post the top team stroke average at 290.2, edging Denver by nearly two strokes (292.1). Anna Krekling and Anna Zanusso owned 72.5 stroke averages to pace the Pioneers in four fall events.
• In the history of the league, only three programs have ever won the women's golf championship: Oral Roberts (15), Denver (6) and North Dakota State (2).

Preseason Watch List (Alphabetically)
Sarah Bell // Oral Roberts // Jr. // Jackson, Mo.

• Career Scoring Average: 73.9
• Career Bests (strokes)
  • Individual Round: 65
• 2020-21 Totals
  • 16 rounds played
  • 77.1 scoring average
• Captured first career medalist honors at the 2021 Ozarks National this past fall
• 15 top-10 finishes, and 10 top-5 finishes through three-plus collegiate seasons
• Two-time All-Summit League honoree (2019, 1^st; 2021, 2^nd)
• 2019 Summit League All-Tournament Team (3^rd-place finish)

Jinna Boonbumroongsuk // Omaha // So. // Bangkok, Thailand

• Career Scoring Average: 79.9
• Career Bests (strokes)
  • Individual Round: 70
• 2020-21 Totals
  • 26 rounds played
  • 80.9 scoring average
• Six career top-10 finishes, including two top-five finishes this past fall
• Posted career-low 70 in final round of Stampede at the Creek in October

Carrie Carpenter // North Dakota // So. // Billings, Mont.

• Career Scoring Average: 80.0
• Career Bests (strokes)
  • Individual Round: 73
• 2020-21 Fall Totals
  • 15 rounds played
  • 81.4 scoring average
• Posted first career top-10 finish at the Jackrabbit Intercollegiate this past fall
• Closed fall with a career-best 73 in final round of The Clash at Boulder Creek

Laerke Jensen // South Dakota // Sr. // Hobro, Denmark

• Career Scoring Average:  77.2
• Career Bests (strokes)
  • Individual Round: 70
• 2020-21 Totals
  • 15 rounds played
  • 77.7 scoring average
• Six career top-10 finishes, including two top-five finishes this past fall
• Placed fifth in final two events of the fall at the Ram Classic and Grandover Fall Classic
• Shot career-low 70 in final round of the fall at Grandover Fall Classic
• Owns two top-15 finishes at Summit League Championship (14^th, 2019; t12 ^th, 2021)

Isabelle Lynch // St. Thomas // Fr. // Bloomington, Minn.

• Career Scoring Average: 80.3
• Career Bests (strokes)
  • Individual Round: 75
• 2021-22 (Fall) Totals
  • 9 rounds played
  • 80.3 scoring average
• Two top-25 finishes in the fall, including 13^th-place at the Creighton Classic
• Carded a season-low 75 in round two of the Stampede at the Creek

Leah Skaar // North Dakota State // So. // Gold Canyon, Ariz.

• Career Scoring Average: 78.7
• Career Bests (strokes)
  • Individual Round: 65
• 2020-21 Totals
  • 6 rounds played
  • 85.5 scoring average
• Posted first two career top-10 finishes in the fall, including a third-place finish at Stampede at the Creek
• Shot in the 70’s in 12 rounds this past fall, including a career-low 73 twice

Katie Tanner // Western Illinois // Jr. // Auburn, Ill.

• Career Scoring Average: 79.8
• Career Bests (strokes)
  • Individual Round: 72
• 2020-21 Totals
  • 20 rounds played
  • 78.8 scoring average
• Three career top-10 finishes, including a tied for third at 2021 Beu Mussatto Invitational
• Shot a career-low 72 in second round of Cardinal Classic as a freshman in fall of 2019

Shakira-Ann Kuys // South Dakota State // Fr. // Port Augusta, South Australia

• Career Scoring Average: 74.4
• Career Bests (strokes)
  • Individual Round: 73
• 2021-22 (Fall) Totals
  • 9 rounds played
  • 74.4 scoring average
• Opened collegiate career with third-place finish at Jackrabbit Intercollegiate
• Shot in the 70’s in all nine round this past fall, including season-low 73 three times

Anna Zanusso // Denver // Jr. // Castelfranco Veneto, Italy

• Career Scoring Average: 72.6
• Career Bests (strokes)
  • Individual Round: 61
• 2020-21 Fall Totals
  • 21 rounds played
  • 73.8 scoring average
• Nine top-10 finishes, five top-five finishes and two victories during collegiate career
• Captured medalist honors at second collegiate event – Golfweek Conference Challenge
• Shot NCAA record-tying 61 (-11) in second round of Westbrook Invitational en route to medalist honors as a freshman in spring of 2020
• Posted seven rounds in the 60’s and shot par or better 14 times during freshman year
• All-Summit League First Team selection in 2021
• Placed third at 2021 Summit League Championship to earn all-tournament honors
• Top Summit League finisher ever at NCAA Championships, tying for ninth in 2021

#SUMMITGF