NC State Women’s Golf Ranked No. 29 in Golfweek Preseason Ranking
8/27/2025 12:00:00 PM | Women's Golf
RALEIGH – The NC State women's golf team has clocked in at No. 29 in the Golfweek's 2025-26 Women's College Golf Preseason rankings.
This marks NC State's first preseason top 30 ranking since 2013 when the team clocked in at No. 20 in the Golf Word/WGCA Coaches Preseason Poll.
NC State brings back four returners and welcomes three freshmen to the 2025-26 squad in head coach Darby Sligh's third season at the helm.
NC State finished No. 44 in the final Scoreboard Powered by Clippd ranking, with its best ranking clocking in at No. 39 last season. The Pack is coming off its 20th NCAA Regional appearance and a sixth-place showing at the NCAA Charlottesville Regional. Sophomore Marie Eline Madsen became the second individual in school history to qualify for the NCAA Championship after being the first player in NC State history to win an NCAA Regional.
The Pack return senior Vania Simont, who has played in 88 rounds and posts a 74.56 scoring average, as well as juniors Lea Ludwig and Leena Stephens. Madsen returns to the squad after a stellar freshman year, in which she was named to the All-ACC Women's Golf Team and a WGCA Second Team All-American and Golfweek Third Team All-American. NC State's three freshmen have had successful careers on the junior golf and high school golf circuits. Ellie Hildreth is a Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina native, Lindsay McGrath is an Onatrio, Canada product and Elizabeth Sullivan is from Atlanta.
NC State will begin the season on Sept. 8-9 at the Cougar Classic at Yeamans Hall Club.
2025-26 Golfweek Preseason Rankings:
1. Stanford
2. Oregon
3. Texas
4. USC
5. Arizona State
6. Duke
7. Texas A&M
8. LSU
9. Northwestern
10. Arkansas
11. Vanderbilt
12. Florida
13. Wake Forest
14. South Carolina
15. Ohio State
16. North Carolina
17. Virginia
18. Florida State
19. Auburn
20. Oklahoma State
21. Mississippi State
22. Michigan State
23. Ole Miss
24. TCU
25. UCLA
26. Arizona
27. SMU
28. Iowa State
29. NC State
30. Kansas
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