Wheeling, W. Va. – The Wheeling University Men's Golf team qualified for the 2026 NCAA Division II Men's Golf National Championships this Spring
The team finished 19th overall with a three-round score of 899 with three golfers placing among the top 100 at the tournament.
Head Coach Thadd Obecny credited the historic feat to the hard work this team put in and is excited for much more success to come in the future.
"It was a fantastic experience," said Obecny. "In year one for those guys, a new program for a lot of them, they worked hard, they did what we asked, and to see the results of them making the National Championship is pretty good. Now we know what we must do to compete against the best teams in the country, and when we start next year, we need to go to these tournaments just thinking that we can win them. This team works harder than any team I have ever seen so they will be ready to go next year."
During the National Tournament, the Cardinals competed across 72 holes of competition and came out with a bang in round one. Through the first nine holes of the round, the Cardinals shot two under par as a team and were in the top 10. They would finish the first 18 holes sitting at 296 (+8) and finished 19th in the field heading into day two. After being the last group to tee off in round one, the Cardinals would be part of the morning tee times in round two and would battle through the wind throughout the day. The team would end up shooting 307 (+19) for the round and held on to their 19th place spot with a two-day score of 603.
The final round of competition would see the Cardinals play with their Atlantic Regional opponents, and they bounced back, equaling their day one score of 296 (+8).
Sean Dobson was the top scorer for the Cardinals, finishing in a tie for 66th with a three-round score of 220 (+4). He would save his best performance for the final round, when he shot two under par (70). Along with his success in the overall field, Dobson would finish second among his Atlantic Regional opponents.
Dobson is excited about the future of the program, as they build off their National Championship experience.
"It was an unbelievable experience at the National Championship both individually and as a team," said Dobson. "It was awesome to compete in an event that means so much and it definitely lit a fire to make sure we are back next year. To make it down to the last 20 in the country is a testament to the work of Thadd [Obecny] and the belief he instilled in us. This achievement will be huge for the program in the coming years, and we now have a real opportunity to do something great next year."
The other two Cardinals to crack the top 100 at the tournament were Zak Collins and Elias Ekenes-Fosback. Collins would be the most consistent golfer across the tournament, finishing tied for 77th with a three-round score of 221 (+5). Ekenes-Fosback would finish in a tie for 97th with a three-day score of 230 (+14).
The Wheeling University Men's Golf team now heads into the off-season as they look to build on their success and get back to the National Championship stage in 2027.
