BEREA, Ohio – With a renewed sense of purpose and a fresh vision, the Baldwin Wallace University women's golf team, led by Director of Golf and first-year head coach Scott Siler, is aiming to climb the ranks in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) during the 2025-26 season.

Siler takes over a program that returns two key players from a squad that finished sixth at last year's OAC Championships, including one All-OAC and Academic All-OAC honoree.

Leading the way is senior Alana Smith (Fremont/Ross), who had a breakout season in 2024-25. Smith earned her first career All-OAC recognition and was named Academic All-OAC and College Sports Communicators Academic All-District. She competed in nine tournaments and 14.5 rounds, posting a career-low scoring average of 85.52 — the ninth-best in program history. Smith also fired a school-record round of 75 at the Heidelberg Fall Classic. Over her collegiate career, Smith has played in 33 tournaments and 53.5 rounds, holding a career scoring average of 89.23.

Joining her is sophomore Gillian Mitchell (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mount Lebanon), who made a strong debut last season. Mitchell competed in eight tournaments and 12.5 rounds, finishing third on the team with an 87.45 average. She recorded a season-low round of 90 at the Mount Union Spring Invitational and looks poised to take a big step forward in her second year.

With a young but promising roster and experienced leadership at the top, the Yellow Jackets are focused on continued development and making a statement in the OAC.

BW opens the fall portion of its schedule on August 30-31 at the Labor Day Classic, hosted by Ohio Northern University at Colonial Golfers Club in Harrod.