ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Missouri Valley Conference has released the preseason polls for both the upcoming men's and women's golf spring seasons, the league announced on Friday. The Bulldog men were picked T7th with Belmont, while the Bulldog women were picked fourth.
 
Drake men's golf will look to build off a solid fall season as the spring season approaches. The Bulldogs competed in five events during the fall and had their best finish at the Zach Johnson Invitational, where the team tied for second shooting a 54-hole of 863 – their lowest mark of the season.
 
Sophomore Jake Weissenburger led Drake in scoring average during the fall portion of the season. The Clive, Iowa, native played in all five events and tallied a scoring average of 72.33 over 15 rounds. Weissenburger also carded the lowest round of the fall for the Bulldogs by firing a 68 during the second round of the Zach Johnson Invitational. His fall season was capped off by being named the MVC Men's Golfer of the Week following his outing at the ODU/Kilmarlic Intercollegiate. Weissenburger recorded a top-10 finish, tying for 10th carding rounds of 73-69-70 en route to 212 final score. Weissenburger led the field in scoring average on par-5's at 6-under, 4.50 and tied for the third in the field with 14 birdies.
 
The men's golf squad will compete in six events this spring starting at the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate, Feb. 24-26. Drake is also the host institution for the 2025 MVC Men's Golf Championship which will be at Des Moines Golf and Country Club (April 20-22) in Wes Des Moines, Iowa.
 
Illinois State was tabbed as the favorite receiving nine of 10 first place votes.
 
2025 Drake Men's Golf Spring Schedule
Feb. 24-26         Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate          Classic Club (Palm Desert, Calif.)
Mar. 11-12         GCU Invitational                                   GCU Golf Course (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Mar. 24-25         Bell Bank "Pay It Forward" Collegiate    Wigwam Golf Club (Litchfield Park, Ariz.)
Apr. 7-8              Tiger Intercollegiate                              The Club at Old Hawthorne (Columbia, Mo.)
Apr. 12-13          Hawkeye Invitational                             Finkbine Golf Course (Iowa City, Iowa)
Apr. 20-22          MVC Championship                              Des Moines Golf and Country Club (West Des Moines, Iowa)
 
2025 MVC Men's Golf Spring Preseason Poll
Illinois State (9)               99
Southern Illinois              88
Valparaiso                       80
Murray State                   65
Bradley                           57
UNI                                 44
Drake                             41
Belmont (1)                    41
Missouri State                27
Evansville                      10
 
The women's golf team looks to continue a strong start to its spring season coming off its best performance to end the fall at the Clash at Boulder Creek. The Bulldogs finished in fifth at the event with a team total of 855 (282-287-286) over the three days of play in the desert.
 
Julie Huggins led the Bulldogs in scoring average during the fall at 74.8 over 11 rounds of play. She placed inside the top-20 in three of the four events that Drake participated in with her best finish at the Redbird Invitational tying for 14th.
 
Amber Henson had the best individual finish by a Bulldog this past fall placing eighth at the Diane Thomason Invitational (74-73-79=226). She tallied a scoring average 75.6 during her fall season.
 
Drake will partake in six events during the spring, beginning with the Texas State Invitational, Feb. 3-4, from the Vaaler Creek Golf Club in Blanco, Texas. The 2025 MVC Women's Golf Championship will take place at Annbriar Golf Course in Waterloo, Ill., April 13-15. Indiana State is the host school.
 
Illinois State was also selected as the favorites among the women's golf teams in the Missouri Valley Conference receiving 11 of 12 first place votes.
 
2025 Drake Women's Golf Spring Schedule
Feb. 3-4               Texas State Invitational                               Vaaler Creek Golf Club (Blanco, Texas)
Feb. 10-11         Rust Buster Match Play                               King's Ridge Country Club (Orlando, Fla.)
Mar. 3-4               West Texas Classic                                         Abilene Country Club (Abilene, Texas)
Mar. 24-26         Ozarks National Invitational                   Ozark National Golf Course (Hollister, Mo.)
Apr. 4-5                WIU Intercollegiate                                         TPC Deere Run (Silvis, Ill.)
Apr. 13-15          MVC Championship                                       Annbriar Golf Course (Waterloo, Ill.)
 
2025 MVC Women's Golf Spring Preseason Poll
Illinois State (11)           143
Missouri State               127
Bradley                          114
Drake                             98
Belmont (1)                     95
Murray State                   86
Evansville                       70
UNI                                 54
UIC                                 27
Southern Illinois             47
Indiana State                 40
Valparaiso                     13