Anchormen voted favorite to win fifth straight crown this weekend

The 2015 GNAC Tournament will take place this weekend, Saturday-Sunday, October 17-18, at the Allendale Country Club in North Dartmouth, Mass., with the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth serving as host.

RIC, guided by 10th-year head coach Greg Gammell, received 78 points and seven of a possible nine first-place votes in the poll. Last year's individual medalist Jonathan Cooper will be back on the links to help lead the way for RIC after senior shot 70-72—142 last fall en route to a winning total of 587 strokes by the Anchormen.

Saint Joseph's College of Maine, which finished sixth of eight teams at last fall's GNAC Tournament in Canton, Mass., finished second overall in the poll with 62 points and one first-place vote. The Monks will feature sophomore Michael Caron and freshman Cam Letourneau, who have combined to win four GNAC Golfer of the Week honors this fall.

Johnson & Wales University took the third position in the poll with 61 points after finishing as last year's championship runner-up. Wildcats senior Brandon Kwok has been the team's top finisher at two events thus far this season after finishing tied for 10th at last year's GNAC Championship.

UMass Dartmouth garnered one first-place tally and 59 points in the voting, as the host Corsairs will look for another strong GNAC showing from junior Michael Byron, who finished fourth overall a year ago.

The University of Southern Maine rounded out the top-five with 50 points. Huskies junior Tom Murray finished eighth individually a year ago as a sophomore.

Making up the remainder of the poll was Worcester State University with 36 points, Suffolk University with 29 points, Emmanuel College with 20 points and Albertus Magnus College with 10 points.

Albertus Magnus will be making the program's first-ever appearance at GNACs, as the Falcons are in their first year sponsoring the sport.

The GNAC will also announce its Player and Rookie of the Year at the conclusion of the tournament on Sunday, with the league's Coach of the Year announcement slated for next week.

Be sure to follow the GNAC on Twitter (@TheGNAC) for video stream links and results updates throughout the weekend.

Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions, 12 associate member institutions, and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement.

2015 GNAC Men's Golf Coaches' Poll

1. Rhode Island College (7) - 78

2. Saint Joseph's of Maine (1) - 62

3. Johnson & Wales - 61

4. UMass Dartmouth (1) - 59

5. Southern Maine - 50

6. Worcester State - 36

7. Suffolk - 29

8. Emmanuel - 20

9. Albertus Magnus - 10

COURTESY OF GNAC SPORTS INFORMATION OFFICE

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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.