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Wheeling, W. Va. – Entering the 2025 fall season, the Wheeling University Women’s Golf team may be small in numbers, but they have some veteran golfers who have been gaining experience over the last few seasons. As they come into the fall, the team looks to continue to build on those experiences, while welcoming some new golfers to the fold as they build a strong foundation both now and into the future. Led by new Head Women’s Golf Coach Thadd Obecny, the Cardinals are looking to have a lot of individual success on the course as they move toward the Mountain East Conference (MEC) Championships.
In 2024, the Cardinals featured a veteran roster of three golfers who traversed through the fall season. The year started at the Golden Eagle Invitational, where the team combined to shoot an 840 across the two-day event, taking 15th overall in the field. It was their only team score of the season, with their other two regular season tournaments being marked by individual success. They would travel to Ohio Dominican and Ashland for their final two events, with all three of their golfers shooting mid 80’s in two of the three rounds played. As they headed into the MEC Women’s Golf Championship, the Cardinals would advance two of their three golfers to the final day of competition, with both of those golfers finishing in the top 20 of the event.
The Cardinals will return two of their top three golfers from the 2024 fall season, led by senior Ella Keffer. Keffer had a breakout year for the Cardinals during the 2024-2025 season, when she earned MEC Second Team All-MEC honors during the season. Keffer would play a total of 16 rounds combined between the fall and spring seasons, shooting an average round score of 88.2. She would shine on the conference stage, finishing as the Cardinal’s top golfer at both the MEC Championships and the MEC Spring Classic. In the fall, she would take 15th at the MEC Women’s Golf Championships, shooting a 259 across the three rounds of competition. In the spring, she would improve her standing, by five places, taking 10th by shooting a 151 across two days. She will look to once again be a leader for the Cardinals as they enter the fall season in 2025.
The other returning golfer from the fall season for the Cardinals is sophomore Brielle Milhoan, who came on strong for the Cardinals as a freshman. She would appear in 10 tournaments (15 rounds) for the Cardinals and shot an average round score of 94.3 during the season. She was the Cardinal’s top golfer in three of the first four rounds during the fall season, including shooting a career best 174 across two days of the Charleston Golden Eagle Invitational. The final returning golfer for the Cardinals is sophomore Mallory Bozovich, who joined the team during the Spring 2025 season. Bozovich, who golfed in high school, was new to the collegiate game but appeared in six rounds for the Cardinals. Her top performance came in match play against Waynesburg University, where she shot a 113 and won her individual matchup.
As they enter the 2025 Fall season, the Cardinals will compete in five regular season tournaments, with a heavy dose of conference play. The Cardinals start their season on their home course, when they host the Wheeling Invitational at the Belmont Hills Country Club. It will be the first of four conference tournaments to start the year, with the Cardinals traveling to Charleston (9/8), Concord (9/15), and Fairmont State (9/22) during the month of September. It will give the team a heavy dose of conference play as they prepare for what they will face at the conference tournament. As the regular season wraps up, the Cardinals will head to the Clarion Golden Eagle Invitational on September 27th, where they will see several programs from around the region. The Cardinals then head to the 2025 MEC Women’s Golf Championships on October 6th, as they look to get their golfers to day three once again.
The Wheeling University Women’s Golf Team kicks off the 2025 season on Thursday, September 4th, when they host the Wheeling Invitational with tee times beginning at 9 AM.
