COLORADO SPRINGS, Co. - The Northampton women's basketball team is ranked 4th in the preseason NJCAA Division III poll released today by the national office.

The Spartans return three starters from a 23-6 squad which lost in the Region XIX championship game to Brookdale Community College.

Head Coach Art Wolfe (376-176) returns for his 22nd season with high expectations for the team, "We have the talent to be pretty good, but the question will be whether the talent combines with the work ethic and the effort needed to be successful night in and night out in this region."

Wolfe brought in five freshmen along with his seven returning sophomores; Halie Cintron (First Team All-Region), Dee Brown (Second Team All-Region), April Andrews (NCC Tip-Off Tournament MVP), Rayna Vinson, Shanna Clark, Michelle Thomas and Kiersten Young.  Melanie Palko, who last season set a single season record for 3-pointers made, injured her knee during the off-season and will not return as planned.

The Spartans, in their third year of NJCAA competition, open the 2011-12 season on November 5th at #1 ranked Onondaga Community College (Syracuse, NY).  NCC defeated OCC last season in the championship of the Elite Limousine Tip-Off Tournament, 80-76.

The #4 ranking is the second highest for the Spartans, who climbed as high as #2 in the polls last season, before finishing the year ranked 7th.

View the entire NJCAA Division III National Poll: http://www.njcaa.org/sports_polls.cfm?category=Polls&sid=25&divid=3&slid=11