Wayne State College was picked fifth in the 2025-26 NSIC Women's Golf Preseason Coaches' Poll released Wednesday by the league office in Burnsville, Minnesota.  The 'Cats received one first-place vote and 106 points in voting conducted by league coaches while sophomore Gaia Stancikova was listed as the Wildcat Athlete to Watch this season.
            Wayne State finished third at last year's NSIC Championships and advanced to the schools' first-ever NCAA Regional Tournament.  The 'Cats return two All-NSIC players from last season – Stancikova (First Team) and sophomore Camryn Johnson (Second Team). 
            Defending NSIC champion Minnesota State was voted as the team to beat this season collecting 131 points and nine first-place ballots with Augustana second at 122 points and one first-place vote.  Winona State came in third with 113 points with Sioux Falls right behind in fourth at 109 points and one first-place vote with WSC a close fifth with 106 points and one first-place vote.
            Rounding out the coaches' poll were Concordia-St. Paul (86 pts), Southwest Minnesota State (78), Minnesota Crookston (61), University of Mary (58) and Minot State 10^th at 46.  Jamestown (42), MSU Moorhead (37) and Bemidji State (25) filled out the poll.
            Stancikova, a sophomore from Castel San Pietro Terme, Italy, had a standout freshman season for the Wildcats averaging a new school record 77.38 per round to earn All-NSIC First Team honors.  She had two top-five and three top-10 finishes with 13 of her 16 rounds in the 70's.  Stancikova fired a season-best round even-par 72 for a third-place finish at the NSIC Preview (March 31-April 1) last season and was sixth overall at the NSIC Championships with rounds of 78-75-79 for a 54-hole score of 232.
            Wayne State opens the 2025-26 golf season playing at the Central Region Preview in Blue Springs, Missouri on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 2 and 3.