Youth movement continues

UCLA Bruins

Noting UCLA: The Bruins are the defending national champions and their work in the fall would make you believe that they’re not ready to give up that title. UCLA won three of four tournaments in the fall and just won the Regional Challenge on Wednesday. UCLA returns three of its five players from the 2011 championship fivesome, plus one additional letterwinner. However, the Bruins did lose senior Stephanie Kono in December after Kono earned full status on the LPGA after tying for ninth at Q-School.

Alabama Crimson Tide

Noting Alabama: The Tide returns four starters, including two first-team All-Americans from last year’s team in senior Brooke Pancake and sophomore Stephanie Meadow. Meadow led the team with a school-record 72.15 scoring average with Pancake close behind with the second-best average at 72.29. UA also features 2010 All-American Jennifer Kirby, who has qualified for the last two U.S. Opens. The junior from Paris, Ontario, Canada, boasts a 73.79 career scoring average with seven top-10 finishes. Sophomore Hannah Collier also returns after starting the final four events of the 2011 season, including a sixth-place finish at the SEC Championships.

Vanderbilt Commodores

Noting Vanderbilt: The Commodores had a strong fall season, finishing no worse than ninth in any of their four fall tourrnaments. After starting the fall season ranked 17th, Vanderbilt ended the fall ranked fifth. In a second-place effort at Stanford in October, the Commodores shattered their school scoring record by seven strokes, finishing at seven-under-par 845 to finish second behind No. 1 and defedning national champion UCLA.

Nova Southeastern Sharks

Noting Nova Southeastern: The Sharks are looking for their fourth conecutive national championship. Despite going through major changes on both the roster and the coaching staff, they appear to be poised to achieve that goal. Kevin Marsh, who headed up both the men’s and women’s golf programs for the school for seven years, left the school in August. Interim head coach Amanda Brown was named permanent head coach in December after her team kept its No. 1 ranking despite losing four-time national player of the year Sandra Changkija, who made the cut in her first LPGA event last weekend in Australia.

St. Edward’s Hilltoppers

Noting St. Edward’s: St. Edward’s is ranked second in the latest DII poll. The Hilltoppers finished the fall season with four consecutive top-three finishes. The Hilltoppers won the UCO/Mahogany Classic, finished second in the Michael Corbett Fall Classic and DBU Women’s Fall Classic and finishing third against mostly Division I competition at the Harold Funston Invitational. Junior Wallis Spears is in the top 20 in scoring average and averages 31.38 putts per round.

Northeastern State Riverhawks

Noting Northeastern State: The Riverhawks finished the fall season ranked thrid nationally, tying their highest ranking in school history. They started the season by winning the NSU Classic, then finished second at the Fred Marx Invitational. At the UCO Classic, the Riverhawks shattered their school scorting record by 10 strokes, firing a 282 in the opening round before finishing the tournament in second place. “We are in a great position to qualify for our 11th NCAA Division II championship,” head coach Scott Varner said. “We certainly have the potential to win the national championship, which is our goal every year.”

Methodist Monarchs

Noting Methodist:  What can you say that hasn’t already been said about a team with 14 consecutive national championships? The Monarchs won their season-opener, the O’Brien National Invitational along with the Martin Wallace Invitational this fall. The Monarchs have two players ranked in the top six in scoring average for the fall season — sophomore Kelsie Carralero is second and senior Kelsey Magnine is tied for sixth.

Washington-St. Louis Bears

Noting Washington-St. Louis: The Bears are ranked second after the fall season, their highest ranking in team history. Freshman Olivia Lugar wasted no time making an impact, grabbing four wins and leading all of DIII in scoring. The Bears have five players averaging 80 or lower through the fall season and two of the top four in scoring (junior Hannah Buck is fourth). If anyone appears poised to knock Methodist off of its long-standing perch, it’s Washington-St. Louis.

DePauw Tigers

Noting DePauw: DePauw was nothing if not consistent during the fall season. The Tigers won the Alleghany Invitational and finished second in each of the other five events it played during the fall season. Senior Kelly Gaughan and sophomore Paige Gooch sit 19th and 20th, respectively in scoring average after the fall season.Vince Lazar, who guided both the men’s and women’s golf teams at DePauw to NCAA championship appearances in the same season in 2005, starts his 12th season at the helm of both teams.