KANSAS CITY, Mo. - University of St. Francis men's golf team received its highest preseason ranking ever when the Saints corralled 30 votes to tie for 33rd place in the NAIA coaches' preseason poll released on Dec. 4.

USF, who qualified last spring for the NAIA Championship meet, tied with Lewis-Clark State (ID) for the 30^th spot in the Top 25 poll. The Saints are fifth among all Midwest schools, trailing only Grand View (IA) who is No. 8, Lindenwood (MO) at No. 15, St. Ambrose (IA) at No. 25 and William Woods (MO) at No. 28.

Coach Paul Downey's squad is coming off a successful fall portion of its schedule. The Saints won the Robert Morris Invitational and placed second with a school-record team score of 287 in their own USF Fall Invitational at Wedgewood Golf Course. They also finished sixth at the Mount Mercy (IA) Cropper Classic and eighth at the Lindenwood Fall Invitational which featured nearly half of the teams currently ranked in the NAIA poll.

USF finished its fall campaign at the NAIA National Preview meet which was held at Deere Run Golf Course in Silvis, Iowa, site of both the 2009 and upcoming 2010 NAIA Championships.