Oilers, Torres Win GLIAC Championship
The University of Findlay women's golf team was crowned Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) champions after posting a 54-hole score of 923 at the Virtues Golf Club in Nashport, Ohio. The Oilers, who shot a 308 in round one and a 304 in round two, came back with a 311 during the final day of competition on April 23 to beat the field by 20 strokes.
Individually, sophomore Makenzie Torres captured the individual title after posting a 54-hole score of 219 (+3). Torres began the tournament with a 1-over par score of 73 on Friday and then came back with an even-par round of 72 on Saturday. She then closed the tournament with a 2-over par score of 74 on Sunday, making a birdie her final hole.
Torres' three-round score of 219 is the tied for the fourth-lowest mark in school history. Her tournament-high 14 birdies enabled her to win the tournament by nine strokes. Her 14 birdies doubled the next closest competitors as teammates Shelby Warner, a senior, and Samantha Hatter, a sophomore finished second at the tournament with seven. She also led the field in par-4 scoring at 3.97 and was second in par-5 scoring at 4.92.
Warner played well throughout the tournament and finished tied for fourth with a 232. Warner posted a 76 on the first day and then fired a 74 on the second. She then closed the event with an 82 for her final score. Her 3.00 scoring average on par-3 holes led the field.
Hatter tied for 12th with a 241 and closed the tournament with a 2-over par score of 74 on Sunday. She had an 85 on the first day of competition and then came back with an 82 during the second round.
Freshman Samantha Kellstrom finished 14th with a 242 (75, 86, 81) while freshman Meredith Wipper placed 16th with a 244 (84, 76, 84).
As a team, the Oilers posted a tournament-high 35 birdies and finished second with 133 pars. They also had the best par-3 scoring average at 3.42 and led the field in par-5 scoring at 5.17.
The Oilers will now prepare for the NCAA Division II East Regional. The regional event will take place on May 8-10 at the Glenmoor Country Club in Canton, Ohio. The top-three teams at the end of the regional will then advance to the 2017 NCAA Division II National Championship, which will be held in Findlay at the Findlay Country Club on May 17-20. The Oilers are looking for their fourth-straight appearance in the national championship.
Note: The 2017 edition of the Oilers women's golf team became only the third program from the University of Findlay to win a GLIAC championship. The UF men's golf team captured a conference title during the 2007 campaign while the Oilers men's basketball team has won conference championships during the 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014 seasons.
