NORMAN, Okla. - With nearly one month of the season complete, the Illinois Wesleyan University men's golf is ranked fifth in the Bushnell/Golfweek Division III Coaches' Poll announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America Friday, Sept. 25. IWU reeled in 341 points.
Huntingdon, winners of the NCAA Division III Preview, lead the rankings after moving up from the No. 2 position with 11 first-place votes and 394 point. Kenyon jumped from ninth to second with 361 points, while Emory (353), Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (343), and Illinois Wesleyan round out the top-five. CMS nabbed five first-place votes while sliding from No. 1 to No. 4.
Illinois Wesleyan has played in three tournaments this fall, placing in the top-four in each of the events. Going up against nationally-ranked competition at each of their three events, the Titans took third at the Transylvania Invitational and the Wrigglesworth Invitational before posting a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Division III Preview.
One of the younger teams in the top-25, the Titan lineup has not featured a senior this season. Junior Pablo Castro (Palatine, Ill.-Palatine) has led the Green and White, winning the Transylvania Invite, and finishing third at the Wrigglesworth Invite. Sophomore Ryan Andrews (Libertyville, Ill.-Libertyville) the only other returner from last season's runner-up finish as posted top-10 finishes in each of the three tournaments this fall. Sophomore Ben Gelven (St. Louis, Mo.-Mary Institute and Country Day School) has settled in nicely, climbing the leaderboard in each tournament. After finishing tied for 25th in his first varsity event, Gelven earned a share of ninth at the Wrigglesworth Invite. Most recently, the St. Louis, Mo. native was IWU's top finisher at the NCAA Preview, tying for fifth.
The Titans will enjoy a Homecoming weekend worth of festivities Saturday, Oct. 3, including a banner-drop recognizing last season's runner-up finish. The 2025-26 squad will then be honored in between the first and second quarters of IWU's football game. The Green and White will return to action a few days later at the Wabash Invitational, Oct. 7-8.
2026-27 Bushnell/Golfweek DIII Coaches' Poll - September 25
1 Huntingdon (11) 394 2
2 Kenyon 361 9
3 Emory 353 6
4 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (5) 343 1
5 Illinois Wesleyan 341 4
6 Carnegie Mellon 336 3
7 Sewanee 288 7
8 Methodist 286 5
9 Aurora 269 10
10 Oglethorpe 253 12
11 Mary Hardin-Baylor 225 11
12 Washington and Lee 220 8
13 Trinity (TX) 171 15
14 Transylvania 143 16
15 Southwestern (TX) 135 19
16 LeTourneau 134 13
17 Piedmont 117 14
18 Rochester 89 17
19 Pomona-Pitzer 77 25
20 Babson 62 20
T-21 John Carroll 57 RV
T-21 Willamette 57 18
23 Guilford 54 22
24 Shenandoah 51 NR
25 Lynchburg 50 21
Dropped Out: Gustavus Adolphus (No. T-23; RV), Whitman (No. T-23; RV).
Receiving Votes (Points): Bethel (MN) (49), Whitman (47), UW-Eau Claire (42), Greensboro (34), Dubuque (26), Gustavus Adolphus (25), Redlands (17), Carleton (15), Gettysburg (14), Hampden-Sydney (12), Trinity (CT) (12), Wittenberg (12), UW-Stout (8), Amherst (6), Linfield (6), Franklin & Marshall (5), Tufts (5), Berry (3), Rhodes (3), NYU (1), Williams (1).
About the GCAA
Established in 1958, the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) is the professional organization of men's collegiate golf coaches. The GCAA's mission is to support its member coaches from six divisions, including the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA, by creating educational opportunities, providing resources, and promoting its members with the purpose of enhancing their overall performance as coaches, mentors, and teachers. The GCAA also recognizes the excellence and achievements of its members and their student-athletes in academic, athletic and civic endeavors. For more information, please visit gcaa.coach.