Wheeling, W. Va. – The Cardinals migration down south continues for the Wheeling Women's Golf team as they head to Richmond, Virginia. After opening their spring season in Myrtle Beach, the women will move to their first regional tournament of the year at the Findlay Spring Invitational. With the race to the 2026 NCAA DII Atlantic Region Tournament in full swing, the Cardinals are looking to have some of their top individuals rise to the top of the pack.
Last time out, the team competed at the Pawley's Island Beach Bash, hosted by Gannon, with 11 teams from across the East Coast in competition. On the first day of action, the Cardinals came out hot with one golfer in the top 20 of the event, and three placed in the top 40. They would out together a team score of 351 for the round, with two of their five golfers shooting sub 90 scores in the effort. As a team, the Cardinals found themselves eighth in the field of 11 teams and were looking to build on their success heading into day two of competition. On the second day of competition, the Cardinals would shoot a 381 and saw some improvement on the individual side. Two of the five Cardinal golfers that took the course were able to lower their day one score, with one of those golfers shooting sub 90. In the end, the Cardinals would finish 10th overall in the field and second among the conference teams in the field.
Leading the way for the Cardinals in her Wheeling debut was Ivana Alvarez, who finished 47th in the field. She was the only Cardinal to produce a sub-90 score on each day of competition, shooting a 177 (+33) across the two-day event. After a rough start on day one, Alvarez would settle in, hitting four pars on the final five holes of the back nine to hit the curve with momentum. She would finish the first day in the top 50, shooting an 89, and looked to continue that success into day two. On that second day, Alvarez was able to pick up her first Collegiate birdie on the back nine. She would take three strokes off her front nine score from day one, and finished out strong shooting a +7 to round out her day. She dropped two spots in the individual standings, but the effort helped her take off one stroke from her day one score. Alvarez put together a strong Cardinal debut at the event and looks to continue to be a leader down the stretch.
Finishing behind her was senior Ella Keffer, who was the Cardinal leader on day one of competition. She would start her spring strong, shooting an 82 in the first round and finding herself in the top 20 of the event. She would hit four pars on the back nine, but it was her work on the front nine that would help her shine. She would bring it home strong in the round, hitting par on four of the five holes to end her day adding one stroke. She would sit tied for 11th in the field after day one, before finishing out the effort with a 92 in the final round. The biggest day one to day two turn around came courtesy of Mallory Bozovich, who continues to gain experience each time out. From day one to day two, Bozovich was able to drop 16 strokes from day one to day two, with the biggest improvement coming on the front nine. She would drop 19 strokes off her day one score, and looks to continue bringing down her round numbers as the spring season rolls on.
As they continue through their spring schedule, the Cardinals will continue their southern trip heading to Richmond, Virginia. The Findlay Spring Invitational will give the Cardinals a chance to see several top teams from around the Atlantic Region, including three ranked teams in the field. They will compete at the Boone's Trace National Golf Course, with two days of competition. The Cardinals are the only Mountain East Conference (MEC) team in the field, with opponents on the day including Malone, #4 Findlay, Ashland, and Northwood. The Cardinals will look to continue their improvement as the spring goes on with the young golfers continuing to grow their experience. With three more tournaments still on the docket during the spring, they will look to continue lowering their team score throughout the season.
The Starting Lineup
Ella Keffer
Brielle Milhoan
Ivana Alvarez
Kaily Banal
Mallory Bozovich
The Details
The first round of the Findlay Spring Invitational is scheduled for Sunday, March 15th, with tee times beginning at 9 AM. Follow Long with Live Results by clicking HERE
