NCAA East Region Rankings (Feb. 7)



INDIANAPOLIS – A pair of Great Midwest Athletic Conference programs are planted in the top five of the first NCAA East Region Women’s Golf rankings that was announced on Friday afternoon for Division II.
 
The Oilers of Findlay, defending East Region team champions, are ranked second only behind UIndy and Tiffin checks in at fifth.
 
Findlay is also ranked third in Division II in the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) Top 25 Poll that was last updated on Nov. 22, 2019.
 
A total of 14 different teams from the East Region (G-MAC, GLVC, GLIAC, NE-10) were ranked as the spring portion of the 2019-20 season gets ready to start.
 
With no AQ’s allocated in women’s golf, 12 different teams and six individuals from non-qualifying teams will compete in a 54-hole super regional tournament format. The top four teams along with the top four individuals not with a team would advance to the NCAA Championships in mid-May at St. Albans, Mo.
 
Both Findlay and Tiffin have the top two team rounds of the season so far, done so at the UIndy Invitational in the second round. UF carded a 291 (-1) and TU had a team score of 295 (+3).
 
The Oilers pace the Great Midwest in team scoring at 298.9 strokes for 11 rounds while the Dragons are second with an average of 307.0.
 
Tiffin sophomore Alexis Savage has the conference single-round scoring record with a 66 (-6) in the second round of the same UIndy Invitational. There were 17 other times that a women’s golf student-athlete shot an under par round in the fall alone.
 
The Oilers are 1-2-3 among conference scoring leaders at the top. Kristina Kniesly (74.4) holds a slight edge over teammates Meredith Wipper (74.5) and Jill Schmitmeyer (75.3).
 
Both Findlay and Tiffin qualified for the NCAA Championship East Super Regional in 2019 held in Owensboro hosted by Great Midwest member Kentucky Wesleyan.
 
The Oilers shattered the conference single-season scoring record a year ago (302.80) and are well on their way to setting a new standard on the current pace going into the spring. Tiffin’s 2018-19 scoring average of 318.92 ranks third best in league history since 2013.