April 3, 2008

The Wayland Baptist University Board of Trustees of Wayland Baptist University recently approved a proposal to initiate women's golf as an intercollegiate athletic program beginning with the 2008-09 academic year.

According to WBU Director of Athletics, Dr. Greg Feris, the development of a women's golf program has been a long-term goal of the Wayland athletic department. 

"We believe that it is both feasible and productive for the university to field a women's golf team at this time, and are pleased that the administration has provided the support to take this initial step.  With the addition of golf, our women's intercollegiate offerings will now be at seven:  volleyball, cross country, soccer, basketball, indoor track, outdoor track, and golf." 

Coach Tom Harp is head of the WBU golf program and Mikel Martinson, a two-time NAIA All-American at Wayland, is his assistant.  Under Harp's leadership, the Pioneer men have made five straight NAIA Championship appearances, finishing sixth in 2006 and second last year, and have captured ten tournament titles since 2002.  The 2008 Pioneer men are ranked ninth in the latest NAIA Top 25 Coaches Poll. 

Feris says that the new team will join seven other women's golf programs in the very competitive Sooner Athletic Conference.  Oklahoma City University, the three-time NAIA National Champion, is once again ranked number one this year.  Other top 25 teams are #5 Lubbock Christian University, which is in its fourth year of existence, and #11 Southern Nazarene University.

"The SAC traditionally sees three or four of our teams ranked in the NAIA top ten.  Our hope is to be competitive from day one, but we are fully aware that it will take time to raise the program to the status of our men's team.  Coach Harp and Coach Martinson are currently recruiting the best talent available."