Official WGCA Release
CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. – A talented trio of student-athletes from nationally and regionally-ranked Findlay were named to the 2019-20 Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-Region Team for Division II.
Junior Kristina Kniesly, sophomore Jill Schmitmeyer and senior Meredith Wipper, all made the WGCA All-East Region Team, which features institutions comprising a large super region from six different conferences.
The Great Midwest Athletic Conference, Great Lakes Valley Conference, Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Mountain East Conference, Northeast-10 Conference and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference are all included for NCAA Championship qualification.
Due to COVID-19, the remainder of the spring season was canceled with all remaining NCAA Championships, including women’s golf. Unfortunately, the Oilers were unable to have their chance to defend last year’s East Super Region title secured in Owensboro, Ky.
In order, Kniesly, Wipper and Schmitmeyer, were the top three league leaders in the Great Midwest in scoring average, as Findlay completed five events during the fall portion of the 2019-20 campaign.
Kniesly had three top-10 finishes, including a medalist performance at the Great Midwest Fall Preview, for a scoring average of 74.36. The former conference freshman of the year also had three rounds of par or better and defeated over 90 percent of her opponents (304-33 W/L).
Kniesly’s best round in the fall was a 70 (-2) done two different times.
Wipper was a very close second in the league with a 74.55 scoring average – a margin of just two total strokes separating her from Kniesly. Wipper had three finishes inside the top five and her round of 67 (-5) tied her own single-round conference record.
Wipper and Kniesly each carded a 67 in the 2018-19 season previously.
Schmitmeyer posted a scoring average of 75.27 and like her teammates, also recorded three top-three finishes. Her best single round came in the second round of the UIndy Fall Invitational with an even par 72.
In terms of fairness and consideration for all sports impacted by the cancellation of NCAA Winter/Spring Championships from COVID-19, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference has suspended all-conference teams for spring sports that have not completed a conference championship event.
Those sports include golf, tennis, baseball, softball and lacrosse. The majority of Great Midwest outdoor track and field programs had not seen their season start with the NCAA Championships in Alabama officially halted.