Women's Golf Debuts at #6 | Oilers to Rely on Experience and Youth

Findlay, Ohio – On Friday, Aug. 27, the Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) released their preseason national poll for the 2021-22 season. The University of Findlay women's golf team will debut the year ranked sixth in the country, the third consecutive season in which the Oilers have started the season with a top ten national ranking.

Findlay made the medal match play portion of the NCAA DII National Championship which was held at TPC Michigan in Dearborn, Mich. The Oilers finished third in the stroke play portion but fell to sixth-seed St. Mary's University (Texas) to end the year tied for fifth. The top six teams in the 2021-22 Preseason Poll were all participants in last season's medal match play, highlighting the depth displayed at the top of the women's golf world in Division II.

Of the five Oilers who made up the lineup in last year's national championship event, four return, two of which have now played in medal match play twice. Senior Kristina Kniesly and senior Jill Schmitmeyer have been staples in the Oilers lineup since they stepped on campus and will again be expected to play a major role as leaders. Schmitmeyer, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Player of the Year, 2021 all-American, and Findlay Female Athlete of the Year, returns for another season after averaging 75.54 strokes last season while picking up nine top-tens and two tournament wins. Kniesly, a 2019 all-American and 2018 G-MAC Freshman of the Year, averaged 77.14 strokes last season and is primed to put an exclamation point on what has been one of the most decorated careers in program history.

Senior Danbi Kim got her first taste of national championship pressure last season and, now a seasoned veteran, looks to contribute at an even higher level while sophomore Gabby Woods, the 2021 G-MAC Freshman of the Year and G-MAC Championship Medalist, is primed to show that her freshman campaign was just the start of what will be another storied career in the Oilers golf program.

Also making a case for a spot in the lineup will be sophomores Sarah Scarpill and Abby Jones who finished last season ranked sixth and seventh on the team in scoring average and have shown early in qualifying this season that they have worked hard in the off season. Junior Lexis Fickel and sophomore Jordan Pruitt also return and look to challenge for a spot in the lineup, as well.

Findlay brought in just two freshman this year, a set of twins from Lima, Ohio who have been staples at the top of leaderboards in junior golf tournaments for years. Now the duo of Mary Kelly Mulcahy and Erin Mulcahy take their game to the next level and look to translate a multitude of high school success to the collegiate level.

DIVISION II WGCA COACHES POLL