Indianapolis, Ind. - Former University of Findlay women's golf Mary Kelly Mulcahy (2021-2025) has been selected as a Top 30 Nominee for the 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year award following a distinguished four-year career. She was selected as a finalist from a record-breaking list of 631 nominees, a group that was narrowed to 167 nominees at the conference level. "Being selected as a Top 30 finalist for Woman of the Year is an extraordinary honor and I feel extremely blessed to be recognized alongside 29 other incredible women," said Mulcahy. "Seeing the names and stories of each of the other nominees makes me feel great pride in what college athletes across the country are achieving on their campuses and in their communities. To be in the same conversation as these amazing women is special and I am grateful to have been selected alongside them."

Mulcahy is the third Findlay athlete to be named a Top 30 Nominee for Woman of the Year, joining Jill (Schmitmeyer) Boley, a 2023 finalist, and Kirby (Blackley) Overton who was a finalist in 2008. Mulcahy and Schmitmeyer were both golfers at Findlay while Blackley ran track.

About Mary Kelly, head coach Dominic Guarnieri said, "Mary Kelly embodied everything that you could ever want in a student-athlete. She's selfless, humble, a great leader, a great teammate, and did everything the right way on and off the golf course. I'm very proud of all she accomplished at Findlay and seeing her be recognized as a Top 30 finalist for Woman of the Year is the cherry on top of an unbelievable career."

Established in 1991, the award is rooted in Title IX and recognizes female student-athletes who have completed their undergraduate studies and distinguished themselves in their community, in athletics and in academics throughout their college careers. 

Each honoree has demonstrated excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership. The honorees competed in a total of 14 NCAA championship sports and two NCAA Emerging Sports for Women. They have a variety of majors, including chemistry, mathematics, biology, education, engineering, psychology, nursing, computer science, journalism, sport management and more. 

About Mary Kelly Mulcahy

In four years, Mulcahy was named all-G-MAC four times and was the 2025 and 2024 G-MAC Player of the Year. She won 13 times as an individual, the most by any player in program history, and led Findlay to 27 tournament wins as a team. Those 27 wins include four conference championships, three East Regional championships, and the 2022 NCAA Division II National Championship.

Mulcahy's career scoring average of 73.06 is more than two shots better than the next closest in the Oilers' record book and her season scoring average of 71.71, which she accomplished twice, is the best by nearly a full shot. In her junior year, she was named as the 2023-24 NCAA DII National Player of the Year and first team all-American, the third of four all-American honors in career. Her play in each of the last two years earned Mulcahy a spot on Team USA for the Arnold Palmer Cup, an international competition that features the best amateur players in the world.

Demonstrating excellence both academically and in the community, Mulcahy, a four-time scholar all-American, achieved a perfect 4.0 GPA while earning her business administration degree in just three years and seamlessly transitioned into her Master of Business Administration studies. Beyond the classroom and as an exemplary teammate, she volunteered at St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Lima and contributed to initiatives like the Helping Hands Food Drive, the Chopin Food Pantry, and the Allen County Museum Christmas Tree Festival. Her commitment extended to summers, where she taught at local junior golf camps and tutored elementary students.The Woman of the Year Selection Committee will now select 10 student-athletes from each division, determining the Top 30 honorees.