NEW YORK, NY— Coming off a solid fall season that saw the Lions post a 60-6 mark and win two tournaments, the University of North Alabama men's golf team will carry a No. 2 national ranking into its 2010 spring campaign.

UNA earned a No. 2 national ranking in the preseason Golf World/NIKE Golf Division II Coaches’ Poll.  Defending national champion Barry enters the spring as the number one team, earning 13 of the 17 first-place votes. The Buccaneers won twice this fall and finished no worse than third in four starts.

Rounding out the top-five are North Alabama (No. 2), Georgia College (No. 3), Chico State (No. 4) and Barton (No. 5).

UNA won the 2009 Gulf South Conference and NCAA Division II South Region crowns and returns two All- Americans in senior Brett Munson of Louisville, Ky., and sophomore Jake Greer of Birmingham, Ala. The Lions finished tiwed for ninth in last year's Division II National Championships.

UNA has competed in the NCAA South Regional 11 times in the last 14 years and has advanced to the Division II National Championships in 1996, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. The Lions have averaged better than 60 wins per Spring season for each of the last ten years and have taken a position of national prominence in Division II.
Now, entering the 2010 campaign, UNA finds itself as the defending conference and regional champion, and with a veteran team returning.  Another significant change is that for the first time since 1988, the Lions will not be under the direction of Billy Gamble as head coach. Gamble led UNA to nine Division II National Tournaments from 1989-2009 but retired in the fall. Former UNA All-American Stuart Clark has stepped in and led the Lions to an impressive showing in the fall.

The Lions have six returnees from last year’s squad, led by Brett Munson and Greer. In addition to All- American recognition, Greer won the Phil Mickelson Award as the top freshman golfer in the NCAA Division II.

UNA was 99-28-1 last spring and won four tournaments, including the GSC and South/Southeast Super Regional crowns. The Lions then roared through the fall with a 60-6 record that included two more tournament crowns. Munson won three medalist honors in the five events.

Also back are senior Wes Coleman of Athens, Ala., senior Alex Hirai of Sao Paulo, Brazil, sophomore J.P. Taylor of Prattville, Ala., and sophomore Graham Byrom of Huntsville, Ala. Nick Sparks of Belmont, Miss., was redshirted at UNA last season and is back as well. Sophomore Ty Chandler will be redshirted this spring.

The six newcomers to the Lion squad are senior Jace Windom of Gainesville, Ga., junior Andrew Freeman of Jasper, Ala., sophomore Tyler Ekenberg of Apple Valley, Minn., and freshmen Ricky Stimets of Worcester, Mass., Spencer Pace of Florence, Ala., Nico Irrgang of Bavaria, Germany.

North Alabama opens its 2010 Spring schedule at the Grover Page Classic hosted by the University of Tennessee-Martin.

The Lions will then play at the Southeastern Collegiate on March 14-16 and the Bobcat Invitational on March 21-23 before hosting the UNA Spring Classic at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail of the Shoals on March 29-30. The Lions will play at The Nature Classic in Heber Springs, Ark., before putting their Gulf South Conference crown on the line on April 18-20 in Hot Springs, Ark.

Golf World/NIKE Golf Division II Coaches’ Poll.

Rank University (First-Place Votes) Points Prev.
1 Barry (13) 398 1
2 North Alabama 340 3
3 Georgia College 335 2
4 Chico State (1) 311 7
5 Barton 302 10
6 Lynn 299 4
7 Western Washington 261 22
8 St. Edward's 214 5
9 Indianapolis 207 13
10 Florida Southern 202 11
11 Belmont Abbey 198 9
12 Valdosta State 194 6
13 Nova Southeastern (1) 189 15
14 CU-Colorado Springs 175 24
15 Central Missouri (1) 162 T25
16 Lander 136 18
17 Dallas Baptist 135 19
18 Dixie State 127 NR
19 Abilene Christian (1) 118 21
20 USC-Aiken 111 16
21 Rollins 97 NR
22 Ferris State 91 NR
23 Newberry 90 14
24 Columbus State 82 8
25 Bellarmine 78 NR