Defending NSIC champion Wayne State College was picked to finish first in the 2026-27 NSIC Women's Golf Preseason Coaches' Poll released Tuesday morning by the league office in Burnsville, Minnesota.  Defending NSIC individual champion Gaia Stancikova was listed as the Wildcat Player to Watch in the NSIC this season.
            The Wildcats received 11 first-place votes and 178 points in voting conducted by league coaches after winning their first-ever NSIC title last year while advancing to a second-straight NCAA Central Regional.  Minnesota State followed in second with 157 points and the remaining three first-place ballots with Concordia-St. Paul (143), Augustana (121) and Sioux Falls (118) filling out the top five teams. 
            Winona State was sixth with 114 points while Minnesota Crookston (97), Southwest Minnesota State (79), University of Mary (67) and Bemidji State (49) rounded out the top 10 teams.
            Stancikova, a junior from Castel San Pietro Terme, Italy, set a new single season scoring average record last season for the Wildcats and captured the NSIC individual medalist honors to help WSC capture the league title.  She had two tournament wins last season with a 76.8 scoring average and was named All-NSIC First Team.  Stancikova won a four-hole playoff vs. Concordia-St.  Paul's Addi Wood to win NSIC medalist honors and tied for first with Wildcat teammate Hailey Kenkel at the Nebraska Intercollegiate Invite last fall.
Wayne State opens the 2026 season on Monday and Tuesday, September 14-15 at the Concordia-St. Paul/Minnesota State Fall Brawl in Hudson, Wisconsin at Troy Burne Golf Club.
 
2026 NSIC Women's Golf Preseason Coaches' Poll
1.         Wayne State (11)                      178 pts.
2.         Minnesota State (3)                   157 pts.
3.         Concordia-St. Paul                    143 pts.
4.         Augustana                                121 pts.
5.         Sioux Falls                                118 pts.
6.         Winona State                            114 pts.
7.         Minnesota Crookston                97 pts.
8.         Southwest Minnesota State        79 pts.
9.         University of Mary                     67 pts.
10.        Bemidji State                             49 pts.
11.        MSU Moorhead                         47 pts.
12.        Jamestown                               42 pts.
13.        Minot State                               31 pts.
13.        St. Cloud State                          31 pts.
                        first place votes in ( )