STEPHANIE MEADOW GEARED UP FOR NEW US COLLEGE SEASON

FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA WEBSITE

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The University of Alabama women's golf team is ranked third in the Golf World/NGCA Division-I Preseason Coaches' Poll released by Golf World and the National Golf Coaches Association.

The Crimson Tide received one first-place vote and 633 total points to trail only top-ranked UCLA (22 first-place votes and 707 votes) and Southern California (six first-place votes and 651 votes. LSU is fourth with Virginia rounding out the top five.

"You know, our goal is to be competitive for the titles - for the championships - and our philosophy is that is how we prepare every day," Alabama head coach Mic Potter. "It is great to be recognized at a top-five team by the coaches, but there is a lot of season ahead of us and we have to play it one shot at a time. If we do that, I believe we will have a chance to be competitive when the postseason rolls around."

The Southeastern Conference has eight teams in the top 25 with Arkansas and Tennessee following the Crimson Tide and Tigers in 10th and 11th, respectively. Vanderbilt is the next SEC squad, slotted at No. 15 with Florida 16th, Georgia 17th and Auburn 18th. South Carolina is just outside the top 25 in 28th.

Alabama posted a tie for eight at last season's NCAA Championship and has back-to-back top-10 showings after a third-place showing in 2010. 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, pictured, 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.

Alabama opens its 2011-12 season on Sept. 11-13 at the Cougar Classic at the Yeamans Hall Club in Charleston, South Carolina