FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EASTON, Mass. – Stonehill has announced that it will add women's golf as its 21st varsity athletic program with the first season of competition planned for the 2017-18 academic year.
"Stonehill is excited to announce the addition of women's golf as our newest varsity sport," stated Dean O'Keefe '94, Director of Athletics at the College. "Stonehill strongly supports athletics and its role in educating the whole person, and we are eager to expand our sport offerings and provide new competitive opportunities for our student-athletes."
Stonehill will become the ninth Northeast-10 Conference member to offer women's golf, joining Adelphi, American International, Assumption, Franklin Pierce, Le Moyne, Merrimack, Saint Rose and Southern New Hampshire.
The NE10 Women's Golf Championship is held annually during the fall.
"We have seen the growing popularity of women's golf, and we are now able to accommodate the interest in it among our student-athletes," said Fr. John Denning, C.S.C., Stonehill President, who serves on the NCAA Division II Presidents' Council. "The addition reflects the strength of our overall athletic program, which continues to evolve and mature, giving our students new opportunities to challenge and test themselves competitively."
The addition of women's golf marks Stonehill's first expansion of varsity athletics programs since women's lacrosse was introduced in 1999, with field hockey added three years earlier in 1996.
There are currently 196 women's golf programs competing at the NCAA Division II level across four regions. The NCAA recently announced the implementation of automatic qualifiers for the women's golf championship effective with the 2018 championship, and the NE10 expects to gain access to an automatic qualifier no later than 2018-19 season.
The top three teams and low three individuals at each of the Super Regional tournaments held in early May advance to the NCAA Championships two weeks later.
Information for this release provided by the Stonehill athletic communications staff
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 15 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,500 student-athletes.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
