Wheeling, W. Va. - Just three months ago, the Wheeling University men's golf team wrapped up their 2025-2026 season in Las Vegas for the 2026 NCAA DII Men's Golf National Championships. On Monday, the road back to the National Championship event begins when the men's and women's golf teams open their 2026 fall camp. Both teams saw significant growth during the 2025-26 season, and both look to continue to make strides this fall.
On the men's side, the Cardinals saw their most success with a young talented group leading them to the National stage. After a strong fall that saw them finish fourth in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) Men's Golf Championships, The team headed into the spring season with a chip on their shoulder. They would face a schedule that featured almost all Atlantic region opponents as they set out to qualify for the regional Championship event. They came into the spring ranked number twelve in the region, And we're able to snag a spot in the regional event for the first time in program history. The Cardinals entered as the number twelve seed, needing to jump at least nine spots to qualify for the national championship. They did just that, finishing third in the field and punching their ticket to Las Vegas. It was the first time any Wheeling men's golf team had qualified for a national championship and the young Cardinals look to make their name known on the national stage. They would end up finishing 19th in the field, but gained experience that will launch them into their run back to the national championship in 2026-27.
On the women's side, the Cardinals featured a young team that was led by veteran presence at the top. After playing through the first two tournaments as a team in the fall, it would be that veteran presence that led them to the conference Championship event. Guided by several strong individual performances, Wheeling would head into the conference Championship, looking to make the third round of competition for the first time since 2023. That veteran leadership would once again take the reins and the Cardinals would make that third round of competition, planting them in the top six of the conference. They would finish 6th overall in the field, and use the spring to gain experience. They brought in a pair of transfers looking to bolster the roster and by the MEC Spring Classic, The Cardinals were hitting on all cylinders. They would place two golfers in the top 20 of the event and were able to jump two spots to take fourth out of the seven teams in competition. With a class of four newcomers joining this year's squad, three of those being veteran transfers, the Cardinals look to once again challenge for the conference crown for the first time since the 2022 season.
Both teams will be led by veteran presence in 2026-27, with the men returning graduate student Sean Dobson. Dobson would be the Cardinals top finisher at the national championship event, finishing 66th overall, and led the Cardinals through much of the 2025-26 season. Across 34 rounds of competition, Dobson would shoot an average round score of 74.2 while ranking number 14 in the Atlantic region. Within those 34 rounds, he would produce three top three finishes during the year, With a pair of second place finishes leading the way at both the Sunnehanna Invitational and the Dr. Wally Edgell Invitational. He would earn Second Team All-MEC honors for his work, finishing one-stroke shy of making the first team. The Cardinals loan First Team honor would go to Zak Collins, who led the Cardinals at the conference Championship event. He would be the only Cardinal to finish on the all-tournament team, taking fourth overall at the fall Championship. Like Dobson, Collins also shot 34 rounds during the year with an average round score of 75.9. The duo will look to once again lead the Cardinals through the fall and spring seasons on their road back to the National Championship event.
On the women's side, a lot of the returning talent comes from veteran transfers who look to make their mark on Wheeling women's golf. However, the Cardinals have a veteran of their own returning in senior Brielle Milhoan. Milhoan would show significant growth through the spring season, finishing her year with back-to-back top 10 finishes. Her best finish would come at the MEC Spring Classic, where she finish 6th overall shooting plus 21 over the two rounds of competition. It was enough to propel her to her second All-MEC honor, earning her Honorable Mention ALL-MEC for her efforts. Milhoan 's leadership will be complimented by three veteran transfers who have all played on the national stage at their previous institutions. Sawyer Hobbs is the first of the three transfers, coming off a run at the NJCAA women's golf national championships. She is joined by a pair of Junior transfers, Tilly Jones and Dorthea Evebo, who combined to lead Dodge City community College to a regional Championship a year ago. The veterans look to help bolster the women's golf roster and get them to a national stage of their own in 2026-27.
After playing practice tournaments throughout the summer, both Cardinal golf teams will officially begin their fall camps on Monday. It starts a 17-Day Sprint to the first event of the year, When the women's golf team heads to the Cal U Invitational on September 3. Head Coach Thadd Obecny Enters his second year at the helm of both programs and is looking to build off his first year success. In that first year, he helped elevate the men's golf programs in the National stage and help the women grow a strong base for the future. However, he credits the work of the student athletes, saying they are some of the best he has ever been around. That hard work looks to transition into the 2026-27 season with both programs looking to take the next step.
"As funny as this sounds, I have been looking forward to starting this fall campaign as soon as we finished up in Vegas three months ago, " said Obecny. " I am so excited to coach these teams this year as both are looking really good in the fall. These kids make it so much fun And they make it so enjoyable to coach these teams. They want it so bad and their dedication is truly remarkable."
The 2026 fall men's and women's Golf Camp kicks off with the team's first practice on Monday, August 17. Wheeling women's golf will be the first to open their season on September 3 at Cal U, while the men follow on September 9 at the University of Charleston.
