Unsure about college golf, Pinckney's Olivia Ohmer is MVP in MIAA
Olivia Ohmer wasn’t sure she wanted to continue her golf career after graduating from Pinckney High School in 2021.
She planned to take on an ambitious course of study, majoring in biology, and was concerned how the demands of playing a college sport would impact her academically.
“Academics are really huge for me,” Ohmer said. “I wanted to get a good degree, because in student-athlete, student definitely comes first. I knew I wanted to major in biology. I was looking at getting a degree from a Division I or larger school and not playing golf.”
Ohmer, who twice received honorable mention all-state in high school, found the balance between student and athlete she was looking for not too far from home at Adrian College.
“It’s definitely more student first, athlete second,” she said. “My coach really cares about us and how we excel in the classroom. He looks at how we do as a team and how we’re placing and our actual numbers when it comes to golf as a second thing. As important as that is, you’re really here to get a degree.”
While golf isn’t Ohmer’s priority, it’s still important.
In just her sophomore season at Adrian, Ohmer earned Most Valuable Player in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association with her performance over six rounds of league competition throughout the season.
She averaged 78.17 for those rounds, winning the league tournament last weekend by shooting 73 and 80 at Bedford Valley Golf Club in Battle Creek.
“Last year, breaking 80 was kind of a surprise for me,” Ohmer said. “I’d be excited if that happened. This year, once I had that first 78, I was like, ‘This is possible.’ It really comes down to confidence and trusting your shot. Once I had that, I knew I could do it and had the momentum to keep it going.”
Ohmer had rounds of 77, 77, 76 and 86 during the four MIAA jamborees leading up to the final tournament. The 86 at Medalist Golf Club in Marshall left her six shots behind Chandler Sjoerdsma of Calvin University in the battle for league MVP heading into the tournament.
Ohmer took the lead after shooting a school-record 73 in the first round of the league tournament and held on to win by three strokes, despite an 80 in her final round. Sjoerdsma shot 81 in each round.
“I remember having a meeting with my coach at the end of last year,” Ohmer said. “Our goal is usually to see myself improve by a handful of shots, maybe two or three. The fact I improved by seven shots from last season to this season was way more than we both thought. We were both hoping for second-team honors as a best-case scenario. To win first team and MVP is not something I even thought.”
Ohmer’s performance helped Adrian win the MIAA championship for the first time. The Bulldogs’ performance allows them to play in events in the spring that serve as qualifiers for the NCAA Division III tournament.
“I’m excited to keep working,” she said. “We’ve got a simulator on campus in our golf room, so that will be great for the offseason to keep my mental game in check. It really comes down to confidence and just knowing it’s possible. Now that our team has done this, we keep saying, ‘We have to stay hungry,’ because when spring comes, that’s when it really matters to make it to the national NCAA tournament.”
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillKhan.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Pinckney's Olivia Ohmer earns MIAA golf MVP at Adrian College
