Thursday, October 06, 2005

JOHNSON CITY (Oct. 6, 2005) - The ETSU men's golf team has returned to familiar territory in this week's Golfweek collegiate team rankings.

            The poll, which is determined based on early season tournament results, has the Buccaneers currently ranked No. 10 in the country. Along with the team ranking, junior Rhys Davies (Bridgend, Wales) is ranked No. 5 after having won the individual championship at the Shoal Creek Intercollegiate two weeks ago. Davies was ranked as the preseason No. 2 player in the country by Golf World Magazine, and No. 3 by Golfweek.

            "It is nice to be ranked near the top again, and although it is based on early season results, perhaps it is a sign that our program is headed in the right direction," said ETSU head coach Fred Warren.

            For Warren, who has coached at ETSU since 1986, having teams ranked in the Top 10 has been a common occurrence throughout his tenure. In fact, Warren's 1996 squad garnered the ETSU athletic program's first and only No. 1 ranking midway through its season, and finished third in the NCAA Championships that year. Then again in 2001, the Bucs finished No. 9 at the NCAA Championships to garner yet another Top 10 ranking.

            The Bucs, who have competed twice so far this season, will return to action in their own Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate at the Ridges next weekend, Oct. 15 & 16. For more information on that tournament and Buc golf throughout the season, visit ETSUBucs.com.