Season Preview: Women's Golf returns strong core for 2016-17 season

By Caleb Scott

ADA — The Ohio Northern women's golf team will look to compete for an Ohio Athletic Conference championship in 2016-17 under 4th-year head coach Chad Bucci.

Bucci welcomes back an experienced group from last years team that finished third in the OAC standings.

The Polar Bears finished in the top half of the OAC standings for the third straight season during the 2015-16 season.

Seniors and three time letterwinners Heather Comer, Ariana Tomasula, Hannah Whisler and Jennifer Hipskind all return for Northern after solids outings a season ago.

Tomasula, a 2015-16 All-American Scholar and OAC honoree, returns to Northern after posting one of the best single seasons in Polar Bear history. 

The senior ranks 13th all-time at Ohio Northern after posting a single season and career-low average of of 87.50.

Tomasula also owns the 16th best single season average in Polar Bear history (88.30) and the sixth best career-average (89.50) in ONU history.

Whisler will also bring a wealth of talent back for Northern after being named an All-OAC honoree and posting the third lowest average on the team (92.8).

Whisler currently ranks 10th all-time at Ohio Northern with a career-average of 92.44 strokes per round.

Comer will also look to be a leader for Northern after ranking second on the team last season with an average of 90.80 strokes per round.

The senior ranks 18th all-time at ONU with a career average of 94.30 strokes per round.

Hipskind, who was also named an All-American Scholar in 2015-16, will look to build on a successful season where she ranked sixth on the team with an average of 96.4 strokes per round. 

"I'm really excited about the group we have returning this season," head coach Chad Bucci said. "We feel like we will be competing for an OAC title this year and look forward to the task."

Northern also welcomes back junior Madison Dramis, and sophomores Ashley Bisciotti, Alaina Mikolajewski, Stacie Shalenberger, Suzanne Short, and Caitlin Silva.

Short ranks 14th all-time at Ohio Northern with a career average of 92.80 strokes per round, while Silva ranks 16th all-time at ONU with a career average of 93.30 strokes per round.

The Polar Bears add five freshmen in 2016-17 as Brittany Bolton, Taylor Daniel, Alexis Miller, Kristin Radalia, and Lydia Shealy all look to contribute for Northern.

"We have some freshmen that will be putting some pressure on our more experienced players and can be competing for a starting five spot later in the season," said Bucci.

ONU will open the season Sept. 3-4 as they compete in the Denison Fall Invitational.