Bridgeport, W. Va. – The Mountain East Conference (MEC) released their annual Women's Golf Poll on Thursday. After finishing third at the MEC Championships last season, the Wheeling Women's Golf Team was picked to finish third in this year's preseason poll.
 
Two of the Cardinals' three top finishers from last season's MEC Championship are back in 2021, accompanied by a team that includes four returning golfers and one freshman. Leading the way is Emily Holzopfel (Rayland, OH/Buckeye Local), who earned All-MEC First Team Honors last season by finishing third in the MEC Championships. She had one of only two sub-80 scores in the final round of the championship.
 
Also returning from last year's team is fellow All-MEC First Team member is junior Zoila Herrera (Miami, FL/Coral Gables). Herrera finished last year's MEC Championships with a first-round score of 83 and a second-round score of 86 to tie for sixth overall. In the team standings, Wheeling finished 13 points behind second-place West Liberty and 16 points behind the eventual MEC Champions The University of Charleston.
 
Sue Vail returns for her 17th season leading the Wheeling University Women's Golf Team and has led Wheeling to a top-three finish in the MEC Championships in every season since the league's inception back in 2013. During that span, they have won the Championship twice and have always been competitors in the conference.
 
The Women's Golf team begins their season in California, PA at the California University of Pennsylvania from September 5th through September 6th. They then play two more invitationals at The University of Charleston (September 13th through the 14th) and Gannon University (September 19th through the 20th). The MEC Championships will be held from October 4th through the 6th at Avalon Lakes.
 
On the women's side of the preseason golf poll, The University of Charleston was picked as the winner receiving 64 points and eight first-place votes, followed by West Virginia Wesleyan (52 (1)) and Wheeling (46). To view the entire MEC Women's Golf Preseason Poll, click HERE.
 
The Wheeling University Women's Golf team starts their season in California, Pennsylvania, when they participate in the California University of Pennsylvania Invitational.