YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. | The Conference Carolinas has released its 2025–26 spring men's golf preseason poll, with Young Harris College projected to finish sixth among the league's 12 teams, while Belmont Abbey College was selected as the preseason favorite to finish first. 

The Mountain Lions enter the spring season coming off a 2024–25 campaign that featured several mid-pack finishes, highlighted by a tie for fourth place at the Conference Carolinas-hosted Sherman B. Smith Memorial during the spring slate. Recent fall results have highlighted both upside and continued development within the program. 

INSIDE THE POLL: 

During the 2024–25 spring season, Young Harris recorded a series of competitive finishes against strong regional and conference fields. The Mountain Lions placed eighth at the Bearcat Spring Invitational, followed by a tie for fourth at the Conference Carolinas-hosted Sherman B. Smith Memorial. YHC added a ninth-place finish at the Oldfield Classic, finished 14th at the Bearcat Classic, and placed eighth at the Music City Invitational before closing the season ninth at the Conference Carolinas Championship. 

Those results positioned the Mountain Lions in the middle of the league standings while demonstrating the ability to contend within the conference. 

The 2025 fall season provided additional context entering the spring. Young Harris opened the year with a runner-up finish at the King University Invitational before competing against deep national fields at the Jay Jennison Cup and the Patriot Fall Classic. The Mountain Lions also posted a tie for ninth at the Currahee Collegiate, showcasing flashes of consistency and scoring potential as the roster continues to gel together. 

GOLFERS TO WATCH:

Young Harris returns one golfer who has already made an impact at the conference level and two freshmen with great potential. Director of golf John Lichtenwalner will look to untap the full potential of the Mountain Lions Men's Golf roster in the 2025-26 spring season.

Samuel Ankelstam, a freshman from Stockholm, Sweden, earned Conference Carolinas Fall Freshman of the Month honors twice during the 2025 fall season and played a key role in the Mountain Lions' second-place finish at King. 

Adrian Ronn, a sophomore from Bro, Sweden, brings proven conference success after earning Conference Carolinas All-Conference recognition and a Freshman of the Month honor during the 2025 season. 

Freshman Todd Marovich, a Canton, Georgia native, adds depth to the lineup as Young Harris continues building toward the spring championship portion of its schedule. 

LOOKING AHEAD:

With a sixth-place preseason projection and emerging talent, the Mountain Lions will look to translate fall momentum into consistent results during the spring portion of the 2025–26 season as they prepare for the Conference Carolinas Championship.