FOREST, Va. --- ODAC men's golf was rolling when the pandemic forced the cancellation of the season in March 2020 with several players and teams ranking well in Division III. The expectations remain high for 2021 with teams retaining several high profile golfers. The league's coaches benchmarked what will be a very competitive set of programs in the 2021 ODAC Men's Golf Coaches Poll.

Guilford College, winner of an ODAC record 17 men's golf championships, tops the chart with 116 points including seven first place votes. Following closely behind in second is Hampden-Sydney College with 113 markers and the remaining five top nods. Washington and Lee University, which donned the most recent ODAC crown in 2019, rounds out the top-three with 104 tallies.

This season's process was a bit more difficult for the coaches. Normally they would have a fall season to gauge the potential of each team entering the spring championship season. Below we take a look at each program and highlight some team storylines and top returning golfers.

TEAM PREVIEWS

• BRIDGEWATER COLLEGE (Poll: 4th | 89 pts.) Head coach John Rogers opens his fourth season guiding the men's program with an experienced roster featuring a pair of 2020 All-ODAC Third Team honorees in Jason Spaar (74.2 avg. | 12 rounds) and Jacob Laughlin (74.3 | 12). Spaar posted three top-10 finishes including a win at the Green Turtle Invitational in September 2019. Laughlin and fellow returner Ronald Uszenski (75.3 | 12) went top-10 twice with Laughlin's coming as top-five showings. Jaco Sears (77.5 | 12) had a strong first collegiate season in 2020.
  
• EASTERN MENNONITE UNIVERSITY (Poll: 12th | 11 pts.) Head coach Andre Swartzentruber opens his second season rebulding his roster. This season's contingent features three players including two with plenty of tournament experience. Seniors Ben Shenk (81.6 | 10) and Chris Fenn (90.0 | 7) are joined by first-year Simon Parmer. Shenk took major steps forward last season as he looks to close his career with a sub-80 average.
  
• EMORY & HENRY COLLEGE (Poll: 10th | 30 pts.) Wasps mentor Bill Mannino returns a solid group of four that will guide this season's squad. Wesley Jones (78.0 | 8) knocked on the door of joining the conference's all-league competitors. He and Christofer Schaff (79.3 | 8) went sub-80 last season with Isfandyar Khan (80.1 | 8) not far from joining them. Chase Maddox (86.0 | 6) adds to E&H's strong core.
  
• FERRUM COLLEGE (Poll: 7th | 54 pts.) Head coach Erick Cox will be looking for a new #1 following the graduation of Lance Keiser. The trio of Hunter Shelton (77.6 | 12), Brett Pennington (78.9 | 12), and Chase Sells (80.6 | 10) will get a shot at filling that role. Zachery Walsh (86.0 | 8) could also have something to say about that with continued improvement in 2021.
  
• GUILFORD COLLEGE (Poll: 1st | 116 pts.) Head coach Adam Crawford has the privilege of welcoming back four of his top five options from last season, each of whom have All-ODAC pedigree. It all begins with two-time ODAC Golfer of the Year and three-time All-American James Mishoe (71.1 | 16). Louis Lambert (75.2 | 13) is a two-time All-ODAC honoree in addition to the 2018 ODAC Rookie of the Year with H-SC's Allen Smith. Addison Manring (73.3 | 16) earned his first All-ODAC honor in 2020, which came two years after winning the ODAC individual medal at the 2018 conference championship. Jack Lee (74.0 | 8) is also a two-time All-ODAC honoree the past two seasons.
  
• HAMPDEN-SYDNEY COLLEGE (Poll: 2nd | 113 pts.) Two-time reigning ODAC Coach of the Year Chad Eisele features a loaded roster that will certainly keep the Tigers in the conversation amongst the best in Division III. John Hatcher Ferguson (72.9 | 16) and Allen Smith (76.5 | 13) profile similarly as two-time All-ODAC honorees and former ODAC Rookies of the Year in 2019 and 2018, respectively. Hunter Martin (71.7 | 16) joined Ferguson on last season's All-ODAC First Team. Both also received All-America honors rom the Golf Coaches Associationa of America (GCAA). H-SC's rotation is further buoyed by the return of Alex Rubino (71.5 | 10), who had the best scoring average in the ODAC after the 2019 fall season. Varun Yerramsetti (77.9 | 14) and Trevor Elliott (78.0 | 14) will also challenge for lineup position after sub-80 seasons in 2020.
  
• UNIVERSITY OF LYNCHBURG (Poll: 5th | 78 pts.) Head coach Mike Veverka has gradually seen his team move into the top half of the league table over his 3.5 seasons guiding the Hornets. Although his roster is devoid of a senior in 2021, he and assistant coach Christina Herbert -- the 2017 NCAA Division III women's national champion -- do feature some quality returning experience to go along with four first-year players. Harry Hodgert (75.4 | 13) earned All-ODAC Third Team honors last year as a junior. He's joined by fellow sub-80 sophomores in Steven Walsh (77.9 | 13) and Chase Petri (78.4 | 13).
  
• RANDOLPH-MACON COLLEGE (Poll: 6th | 68 pts.) The Yellow Jackets and head coach Tim Wehner welcome back all six players that logged rounds in 2019-20. They'll lean on 2020 ODAC Rookie of the Year and All-ODAC Second Team choice Austin Brooks (74.3 | 10) to lead the charge. Nathan Wright (78.1 | 10) and Zach Boote (79.9 | 10) posted sub-80 averages, with Nick Schnur (81.5 | 10) coming close to that level. Grant Burchette (84.6 | 8) and Miles Lesko (85.8 | 4) will look to build off of last season's action. 
  
• ROANOKE COLLEGE (Poll: 9th | 49 pts.) Second year head coach Richie Waggoner has begun to retool the Maroons' with aims up climbing the ODAC ladder quickly. This season's group features two seniors including top returner Evan Diebus (80.4 | 9). Sophomores Will Clary (81.1 | 8), Justin Grenier (81.2 | 12), Daniel Poff (81.7 | 3) and Patrick Hurdle (83.4 | 10) will help lead the way for a contingent of three first-year players. 
  
• SHENANDOAH UNIVERSITY (Poll: 8th | 53 pts.) Head coach Scott Singhass boasts a squad that returns three sub-80 golfers. Blake Woodie (76.1 | 15), Josh Bianco (78.7 | 15), and Joe Gesell (79.2 | 13) posted solid campaigns. Conor Bailey (81.9 | 15) will look to take the next step after a solid first collegiate season in 2020.
  
• VIRGINIA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY (Poll: 11th | 27 pts.) The Marlins are under new leadership this season with David Nelson taking the reins after four seasons coaching Hampton University. Four of his five athletes come with experience, including last season's top player Taylor Cunningham (78.1 | 8). He posted a pair of top-five finishes in five starts. Chandler Scott (86.8 | 4), Tyler Duncan (88.5 | 2), and Jack Mowatt (94.0 | 2) add experience but in the same sense, look to continue their development as players.
  
• WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY (Poll: 3rd | 104 pts.) The Generals and head coach Pete Gyscek will look a bit different from previous seasons with several stalwarts from highly successful teams to replace. Pierce Robinson (74.5 | 11), a 2020 All-ODAC Second Team selection, and Austin Sharrett (75.0 | 9) bring quality playing experience to the table. However, Sharrett is the only upperclassman on the roster while Robinson is one five sophomores looking to two lead a pair of first-year additions. Caleb Choe (76.2 | 6) showed promise in three starts. Evan Owan (73.0 | 2) and Owen Malcolm (78.0 | 2) each played well in limited action last season.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING NATIONALLY

• The ODAC has become one of the best conference's in Division III men's golf. The Division III Bushnell/Golfweek Pre-Spring Coaches Poll reflects that quality with three ODAC teams ranked inside the top-25. Hampden-Sydney and Guilford are slotted inside the top eight. The Tigers, which finished 2019-20 rated sixth by Golftstat, open this year seventh by Bushnell/Golfweek. The Quakers, 11th at last season's close, are tabbed eighth to open 2021 spring.
• Washington and Lee was slotted 21st at the end of 2020. The Generals move up two spots to tie for 19th with Southwestern University (Texas) this year.
• Illinois Wesleyan University, Huntingdon College, and Emory University comprise the top-three by Bushnell/Golfweek.

THE SCHEDULE AND TOURNAMENT

• The ODAC men's golf schedule is fluid and determined by each school based upon their availability to compete and enter tournaments within their respective travel allowances. Events and results will be updated on the school and ODAC websites.
• The 2021 ODAC Men's Golf Championships return to Bryan Park Golf & Conference Center just outside of Greensboro, N.C. in Browns Summit. The competitors will compete in a modified 54-hole format over two days. All teams will be able to practice on Saturday, April 24, followed by 36 holes of competition on Sunday, April 25, and 18 holes Monday, April 26.
• The selections for the NCAA Division III Men's Golf Tournament will be announced on Monday, May 3. Competition is set for May 11-14 at Oglebay Resort & Conference Center in Wheeling, W.Va.

Listed below is the 2021 ODAC Men's Golf Coaches Poll. For more information on ODAC men's golf, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.  Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow @odacathletics on Twitter and Instagram.

2021 ODAC MEN'S GOLF COACHES POLL