Season Preview: Women's Golf hopes to challenge for OAC crown in 2021
By Tim Glon
ADA — The Ohio Northern women's golf team was poised to challenge for the 2020 Ohio Athletic Conference championship when the season was canceled prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic last March.
The Polar Bears won the OAC Fall Championships by 18 strokes a year ago and were 23-11-1 last season.
Eighth-year head coach Chad Bucci welcomes back the top six golfers and 12 letterwinners from last year's squad.
Seniors Lydia Cranmer (Farmington Hills, Mich./Ladywood) and Annika Neumann (Valley City/Avon) lead the list of returners in 2021.
Cranmer's career scoring average of 83.8 for 39 rounds is the lowest in school history, and set a single-season school record with a 79.8 average in 2019-20.
Neumann averaged 82.6 strokes per round in eight rounds last season after transferring from Saginaw Valley State (Mich.)
In her three season of collegiate competition, Neumann holds an 83.3 average over 44 rounds at the Division II and III levels.
Four sophomores return after posting stellar freshman campaigns.
Meghan Utterdyke (Franklin/Fenwick) was third on the team with an 87.7 average, Torrie Smith (Russiaville, Ind./Western) was fourth with an 88.1, Jessica Tubbs (Holland/Springfield) was fifth with a 90.9 and Olivia Galigher (Bolivar/Tuscarawas) was sixth at 91.3.
Newmann and all four sophomores would join Cranmer on ONU's career top-20 list, but they all have only eight rounds as a Polar Bear and need 15 to be considered on the list.
Senior Allison Logue (Cincinnati/McAuley), junior Karlee Staugler (Saint Henry) and sophomore Bella Orofino (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) are also capable shooting in the 80s.
Seniors Angela Miller (Clarksville/Clinton-Massie) and Alexis Miller (Wayne/Elmwood) and sophomore Mady Allen (Newport, Mich./Jefferson) also return and will provide even more depth.
"Our goal this season is to win the OAC Championship," Bucci said. "We have two outstanding leaders in Cranmer and Newmann and a great sophomore class all returning. Our top six golfers and nine of our top 10 are back from last year. We also have some freshmen that could break into the top five. We are really looking forward to competing this spring."
The Polar Bears are scheduled to open their season March 20-21 at the Pioneer Classic at Marietta.
ONU will host the annual Polar Bear Classic at Colonial Golfers Club April 2-3 with the OAC Championships slated for May 1-2 at River Greens Golf Course in West Lafayette, Ohio.