SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – South Dakota junior Laerke Jensen was tabbed golfer to watch by the league office on Thursday. The women's golf team was also picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll.
 
"We are grateful that the athletic administration is allowing us to play the spring season," head women's golf coach Brett Bennett said. "The Summit League is a very competitive conference and we look forward to working towards the conference tournament at the end of April. There is a lot of work that will be put in between now and that event. This team is ready to hit the ground running here in a couple of weeks with our first event. The break from competition has been a long one, and everyone within this program is excited to get back into competition on the golf course."
 
The Yotes return seven golfers from a season ago and welcome in Danica Badura and Akari Hayashi. Last season Jensen competed in 18 rounds and recorded a low round of 74. She had a +7 relative to par and averaged 78.89 strokes per round last season. Redshirt-junior Julia Hall and junior Emma Sabbagh also competed in 18 rounds last season for the Coyotes. Hall recorded a season-low 72 while Sabbagh recorded a team-low 71 last season. Hall Averaged 77.67 strokes per round while Sabbagh recorded 78.28 strokes per round.
 
Denver amassed 49 points and seven first place votes to take the top spot while Oral Roberts (37), South Dakota State (36) and North Dakota State (34) rounded out the top four.
 
The Coyotes will hit the links for the first time at the Amelia Island Collegiate on Jan. 15-16 in Jacksonville, Florida.

2021 Women's Golf  Preseason Poll

Program	Points
1. Denver	49 (7)
2. Oral Roberts	37
3. South Dakota State	36 (1)
4. North Dakota State	34
5. South Dakota	25
6. Omaha	19
7. North Dakota	13
8. Western Illinois	11

First-place vote in parentheses