Feb. 11, 2005

LAS VEGAS - The UNLV men's golf team will begin the spring ranked 15th in the country as the GCAA/Bridgestone Coaches Poll was released Friday.

UNLV will begin play this spring at the John Burns Intercollegiate in Wahiawa, Hawaii, Feb. 23-25.

Georgia garnered 17 first-place votes to begin the spring right were in left off in the fall - atop the poll.

Despite receiving no first-place votes, Georgia Tech remained in second ahead of third-ranked Oklahoma State. The Cowboys picked up six first-place votes coming off of their win at the Hooters Match Collegiate Match Play Championship in the fall.

New Mexico held on to the fourth spot with two first-place votes. Texas moved up a single spot to round out the top five.

Auburn fell one spot to sixth while Arizona State rose one spot to seventh. UCLA jumped two rungs to the eighth slot. TCU held strong at ninth while Southern California moved up a single position to No. 10.

Kentucky had the biggest fall this week from seventh to No. 11. Duke moved up three rungs to No. 12 on the strength of the lone remaining first-place vote.

Brigham Young maintained its No. 13 position while Wake Forest made this week's biggest jump up six slots to No. 14. UNLV rounded out the top 15 by sliding a single spot.

Clemson, Augusta State, Michigan State, Arizona and Florida rounded out the top 20.

Georgia State checked in at No. 21 this week and was followed by Tennessee and Kent State. The first poll of the spring was closed out by Minnesota and Oklahoma.

No teams fell from the top 25 rankings.

The GCAA/Bridgestone Coaches Poll is voted on by a panel of head coaches at Division I institutions. All are members of the Golf Coaches Association of America. The next Division I GCAA/Bridgestone Coaches Poll will be released Feb. 25.