NEW YORK – The University of South Carolina Aiken men's golf team is ranked fifth nationally in the Golf World/Nike Golf Division II Preseason Men's Coaches' Poll.

The poll was released on Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012.

USC Aiken is one of two Peach Belt Conference teams ranked in the preseason national top-10. Georgia College joins the Pacers in the top-10 at No. 8.

In total, six Peach Belt Conference schools are in the preseason tally with UNC Pembroke (18^th), Georgia Southwestern (21^st), Armstrong (23^rd) and Columbus State (24^th) also ranked.

Defending National Champion Nova Southeastern is ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll. Barry is second, while Chico State is third. CSU-Stanislaus is just ahead of the Pacers in fourth. 

USC Aiken was ranked ninth in the final coaches' poll of the 2012 spring season. The Pacers were 10^th in the final 2011-12 GolfStat NCAA Division II Head-to-Head rankings.

USC Aiken reached as high as No. 1 nationally during the 2011-12 season. In total, the Pacers finished second or better in five of their 13 tournaments. The Pacers claimed the team title at Lander's Bearcat Golf Classic.

Two Pacers claimed individual victories during the 2011-12 season with Taylor Welborn (LaGrange, Ga./Darton) starting the year for the Pacers by winning the Kiawah Island Invitational. Matt Atkins claimed individual medalist honors at the NCAA Division II South/Southeast Regional.

USC Aiken's strong campaign led to berths in both the NCAA South/Southeast Super Regional and the 2012 NCAA Division II National Championship.

USC Aiken got through the stroke play portion of the NCAA Division II National Championship by finishing seventh, which paired them against eventual National Champion Nova Southeastern in the quarterfinals of the match play portion of the national championship. The Pacers fell, 4-1.

USC Aiken's JP Solis (Morelia, Mexico/Lico Morelia) and Atkins (Owensboro, Ky./Henderson State) were selected to the Peach Belt Conference Men's Golf All-Conference Team. Atkins also earned a spot on the Peach Belt Conference Men's Golf All-Academic Team. 

Atkins garnered other awards as well by being named both a Capital One Academic NCAA Division II Men's At-Large All-American and a Division II PING First-Team All-America selection. Atkins was also tabbed as a Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar for the 2011-12 season.. 

Hayden Letien (Sumter, S.C./Sumter) joined Atkins on the Division II PING All-America Team. He was an Honorable Mention selection.

As a team, USC Aiken received the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) Team Academic Award for the 2011-12 athletic year. USC Aiken was one of only 14 NCAA Division II teams to garner All-Academic Team accolades. The Pacers were the only team in the Peach Belt Conference to obtain the prestigious team academic award.

USC Aiken as a team in the 2011-12 athletic year finished with a 3.067 team GPA.

USC Aiken will commence its 2012 fall schedule by playing in the Invitational at the Ocean Course at the par-72 Ocean Course in Kiawah Island, S.C. The event hosted by the College of Charleston at the site of the 2012 PGA Championship will feature one round each day from Sept. 9, 2012-Sept. 11, 2012.

USC Aiken will head back to Kiawah Island, S.C. shortly thereafter to play host to the Ninth Annual Kiawah Island Invitational. The tournament will be contested on Monday, Sept. 17 and Tuesday, Sept. 18.

The Kiawah Island Invitational will take place at the par-72 Cougar Point Golf Course in Kiawah Island, S.C. Designed by Gary Player, the course was rated at "4.5 stars" by Golf Digest. The Pacers are three-time winners of the event.

Golf World/Nike Golf Division II Preseason Men's Coaches' Poll (8/29/12)

1. Nova Southeastern
2. Barry
3. Chico State
4. CSU-Stanislaus
5. USC Aiken
6. Lynn
7. Central Oklahoma
8. Georgia College
9. Western Washington
10. Central Missouri
11. West Florida
12. North Alabama
13. Abilene Christian
14. St. Edward's
15. Florida Southern
16. Indianapolis
17. CSU-Monterey Bay
18. UNC Pembroke
19. Grand Canyon
20. Colorado School of Mines
21. Georgia Southwestern
22. Barton
23. Armstrong Atlantic State
24. Columbus State
25. Washburn