St. Marys grads help Oilers win title

All spring, the University of Findlay women's golf team had been dominating.

When the team had to battle to reach the championship round of the NCAA Division II National Tournament, the Oilers came through when the time was right.

Findlay knocked off top-seeded Dallas Baptist and fifth-seeded Barry in the first two rounds to face Limestone University (South Carolina) in the championship match on Saturday at Chattahoochee Golf Club in Georgia, where it came down to the final hole of the fifth match of medal match play before the Oilers could hoist their first National Championship in golf.

For head coach, Dominic Guarnieri, a graduate of St. Marys, it was an amazing experience.

"It was absolutely remarkable what they did this spring to win eight (tournaments) in a row," said Guarnieri via telephone a few hours after receiving the championship trophy. "What they did the last three days here, to even get into position to get the last spot is remarkable."

Oiler senior Jill Schmitmeyer, an All-Ohioan during her playing days at St. Marys, still taking in the feeling of being a National Champion.

"It's a surreal feeling," said Schmitmeyer via telephone. "We always believed in us and believed we could do it. We saw we were more than capable of it."

During the spring season, the Oilers dominated, winning all five of their regular tournaments before capturing the Great Midwest Athletic Conference tournament title. At the NCAA East Regional, Findlay rolled through the field to easily win and earn a spot at the nationals for the sixth time under Guarnieri's coaching. Joining Schmitmeyer on the Oilers five-player tournament team were freshman twins Mary Kelly and Erin Mulcahy, sophomore Gabby Woods and senior Kristina Kniesly.

But in the 18-team, 54-hole qualifying tournament, the Oilers had a bit of a struggle. By the time the final pairings came off the final hole, Findlay had snuck into the final eight after shooting a 913, one stroke ahead of Henderson State for the final spot.

"The fight we showed just to get to medal match play is really impressive," said Schmitmeyer. "We got it by one stroke and it came down to the wire."

The medal match round is decided on one-on-one matchups between each team's five golfers. The golfer who has the lower stroke total after 18 holes wins the match for their team.

In the quarterfinal against Dallas Baptist, the Oilers won 3-2 as Schmitmeyer, playing the No. 1 spot in the lineup, won her matchup by three strokes.

Findlay picked up steam in the semifinal against Barry, winning four of the five matches with three wins - including Schmitmeyer's - by a single stroke. That put the Oilers into the title match with Limestone, which won its semifinal over Anderson 3-1-1 (three wins, one loss, one tie).

"I think we knew we needed to step up," said Schmitmeyer. "It was crunch time and our backs were against the wall. We needed to finish strong to be able to make it."

Guarnieri sent Schmitmeyer out as the No. 1 again as he has for most of the season, and the senior left no doubt in her match, winning by a dominating eight strokes after shooting a 69.

The title match was tied 2-2 heading to the final match featuring Erin Mulcahy

Mulcahy, who with her twin helped turn Lima Central Catholic into a state powerhouse, took a two-stroke lead after 16 and was up one stroke going to 18. Mulcahy finished with a bogey on the final hole to shoot a 79. Limestone senior Ebba Hellman, a two-time All-American, needed a short par putt on 18 to force a playoff. Hellman just missed to finish with a bogey for an 80, giving the Oilers the title.

"We talked all week about staying in the moment and not letting the moment get too big. We went in a strategy for medal match play and, fortunately, it worked out for us," said Guarnieri, who had to rush up to Detroit as the Findlay men's golf team begins play in the Division II national tournament today. "We played our three best rounds of golf in the final three rounds. That's what it takes."

"We each stepped up when we needed to get it done," said Schmitmeyer. "It's still sinking in, but I'm so proud of everyone on this team. I can't thank the coaches and players enough."