Wheeling, W. Va. – When new Head Men's Golf Coach Thadd Obecny took over in the summer his goal was very clear, win a Mountain East Conference (MEC) Championship. He brought in some veteran leadership to supplement a young roster and the Wheeling Men's Golf team looks to use that leadership to reach new heights. With their biggest roster in recent history, featuring 12 golfers, the Cardinals are out to prove that they can compete with the best the conference has to offer.
In 2024, the Cardinals featured a full starting roster for sophomores who were growing after their freshman spring season. The Cardinals faced a full MEC schedule, allowing them to face-off against their conference competition throughout the season and prepare for the MEC Men's Golf Championships. The Cardinals started the year with a 10th place finish at the Golden Eagle Invitational and added a 10th place or better in two of their three fall events. Their best performance came in the form of a 7th place finish at the Dr. Wally Edgell Invitational, where they shot a three day score of 915. They qualified for day three of the MEC Men's gold Championships for the first time since 2016, and would end up taking fourth at the event, their best mark since 2015.
When he took over the position, Obecny made his goal clear, to win the conference championship. He set out to do just that by bringing in some strong veteran golfers to help supplement the young roster. Leading the way is sophomore transfer Zak Collins, who comes to the Cardinals after going to the NCAA National Championships with Davis & Elkins a season ago. Collins was a part of the Senstor's starting five at the event and shot a combined 230 after three rounds. His best showing of the event came on day one, when he tied for the best showing on the Senators, shooting a 74, just two over par. After a strong freshman season with the Senators, Collins is looking to build on those experiences and have the same success with the Cardinals in 2025.
The Cardinals have also brought in a pair of graduate students in Sean Dobson and Troy Loughry to provide some leadership for the young golfers. Dobson competed with the team during the spring season, and was consistently the top golfer throughout the season. He posted an average round score of 78.0 during the four spring events and looks to continue that consistency as he heads into 2025-2026. Loughry comes from MEC competitor Point Park, where he played his collegiate golf during his undergraduate years. He was named an All-Conference golfer during the 2023 season and was able to break the school's all-time scoring record during his time with the Pioneers. Together, Dobson and Loughry look to lead this year's team as they continue to grow.
The rest of the 2025-2026 team features a young roster that looks to build on last year's experience. The leader of the young group is Caleb Minson, who enters his second season with the Cardinals. Mi son is the only player returning for the Cardinals who saw consistent time in both the fall and spring seasons, shooting an average round score of 81.3. His best showing came at the spring's West Liberty Invitational, where he shot a two round score of 155 to lead the Cardinals. Lodin Femoen saw a majority of his time during the spring season, where he put together an average round score of 81.2 across his 14 rounds. Like Minson, Femoen also saw time in both seasons for the Cardinals and will be competing for a spot in the team's first five throughout the Fall season.
As they head into the 2025 Spring schedule, the Cardinals will get the opportunity to host two home events, their first since before the COVID season. They kick-off the season with the Wheeling Invitational at the Belmont Country Club, and will play their first three tournaments in conference play, with two of those tournaments in Charleston, West Virginia. They end the regular season with a pair of regional tournaments, including their second home tournament of the year. They will be serving as the co-hosts for the Hannasstown Invitational with CAL-U, before wrapping up the regular season at Pitt-Johnstown. The Cardinals will then compete in the 2025 MEC Men's Golf Championships, running October 6th through 8th. After an early start against the conference, the Cardinals look to show they can climb the ladder and compete for an MEC Title.
The Wheeling University Men's Golf team kicks off the 2025 fall season on Thursday, September 4th, when they host day one of the Wheeling Invitational, with tee times beginning at 9 AM.
