Oilers Win East Regional | Woods Earns Individual Title
Springfield, Ill. - The University of Findlay women's golf team cruised to an NCAA Division II East Regional championship, winning the event for the third time in program history by thirteen strokes. The Oilers finished the tournament, which was being held at the Panther Creek Country Club in Springfield, Ill., with a 54-hole score of 862 (284, 294, 284), two-under par. Their three-day total is the second-best score in school history and ultimately punched their ticket to the NCAA Division II National Championship.
Leading the Oilers was junior Gabby Woods. Woods, who started the day in a tie fifth, got off to a hot start. She birdied four of her first seven holes to put herself into contention. A birdie on the twelfth got her to five-under par but she would bogey two of her final four holes. Her final round of 69 (-3) put her into a tie for first with Indianapolis' Elyse Stasil and Wayne State's Rebeca Vestman. In a sudden death playoff, they took to the 340 yard, par four, first. Woods hit her drive down the right side, hitting the cart path and leaving her with a 38 yard pitch shot. She hit that to 24 feet and drained the putt to end the playoff and take the regional title. She recorded rounds of 70 (-2), 75 (+3), and 69 (-3) to finish with a 54-hole total of 214 (-2)- the fourth best score in program history.
Sophomore Mary Kelly Mulcahy finished right behind her in a tie for fourth at one-under par. She carded rounds of 71 (-1), 74 (+2), and 70 (-2). M.K. Mulcahy birdied three of her first four holes before carding thirteen consecutive pars before ending the day with a three-putt bogey.
Following her was an impressive performance by freshman Hayley Dye. Participating in her first ever NCAA event, Dye recorded rounds of 70 (-2), 74 (+2), and 72 (E). She finished at even par and in a tie for sixth. Senior Jill Schmitmeyer took eighth place at two-over par. She carded rounds of 73 (+1), 71 (-1), and 74 (+2).
Rounding out the lineup for the Oilers is sophomore Erin Mulcahy. She finished in a tie for 36th after recording rounds of 84 (+10), 78 (+6), and 73 (+1).
The Oilers will now head to the NCAA Division II National Championship for the seventh time in program history. The event will take place on May 16-2- at the Fox Run Golf Club in St. Louis, Mo.
Quote from Head Coach Dominic Guarnieri
All five girls were locked in all week. We always say our goal is to get better each day and we did that. Having the lowest team score each day was outstanding. The way we started our round today not making a single bogey out of all five players through seven holes was exactly the start we needed. Gabby was solid all week- I told her in the playoff just do what you've done all week, nothing changes. She got a break off the tee and then made a 25 footer to win! That was really special to go back-to-back as a team and individually.
