Allegheny College Women's Golf

The 2025-26 season marks Jeff Groff's 41st at Allegheny College and his 25th as the Gators' head golf coach. On the men's side, Groff led the Gators to NCAA Championship appearances in each of his first five seasons -- part of a 30-year streak by the program -- and has continued to keep Allegheny at the top of the national and regional rankings. Since rejoining the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC), Allegheny captured conference titles and NCAA berths in both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. Groff, who has served as head coach of the women’s program since its inception in 2006, has guided the Gators to unprecedented heights. Allegheny qualified for the NCAA Division III Championships in each of their first seven years as a varsity program, producing six top-10 finishes. In 2006, Groff became just the fifth coach in NCAA history to lead both the men’s and women’s teams to the NCAA Championships in the same year, and both teams earned a top-10 finish that season. During Groff’s tenure, seven Allegheny golfers have combined to earn 14 All-America honors. Ben Rathfon '06 was just the third player in program history to earn four All-America honors, while Oliver White '14 earned three straight All-America plaudits between 2012-14.  Additionally, Liz Blyth '13 became the first Allegheny women’s golfer to earn the honor as a WGCA All-America Honorable Mention in during her freshman and sophomore seasons. Blyth later became the first women's golfer inducted into the Allegheny Hall of Fame with the Class of 2023. Groff is a 1983 graduate of Millersville University, where he played baseball and was an Academic All-American outfielder as a senior. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from his alma mater and went on to earn his master’s in sports administration from Kent State University in 1985. He has been a member of the NGCA Division III Awards Committee, the NGCA East Region Advisory Committee and the Golf Coaches Association of America Mid-Atlantic Regional Committee, where he served as the chairperson and voting member of the Golf World/Nike Golf Coaches Poll for several years. He previously served as the NCAC’s representative on the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Advisory Committee. A native of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Groff attended Penn Manor High School, where he played varsity soccer, basketball and baseball. An avid golfer and a student of the game, Groff is married to the former Chris Binnie, a 1989 Allegheny graduate, and they reside in nearby Cambridge Springs. Allegheny Career Coaching Highlights 2025 Men 26th at NCAA Championships NCAA Championships Appearance PAC Championships PAC Coach of the Year PAC MVP: Carter Hassenplug PAC Championship Medalist: Carter Hassenplug One All-Region Selection: Carter Hassenplug Five All-PAC Selections: Carter Hassenplug (1st), Zachary Melzar (1st), Connor Bell (2nd), Nadir Khan (2nd), Dylan Kochis (HM) 2025 Women Two All-PAC Selections: Elisa Gomez (1st), Josephine Corey (HM) 2024 Men 23rd at NCAA Championships NCAA Championships Appearance PAC Championships PAC Coach of the Year PAC MVP: Carter Hassenplug PAC Championship Medalist: Carter Hassenplug One All-Region Selection: Carter Hassenplug Three All-PAC Selections: Carter Hassenplug (1st), Zachary Melzar (2nd), Nadir Khan (HM) 2023 Women Two All-PAC Selections: Jenny Beth Brundige (HM), Josephine Corey (HM) 2023 Men PAC Runner-Ups PAC MVP: Carter Hassenplug PAC Championships Medalist: Carter Hassenplug Two All-Region selections: Bergas Anargya, Carter Hassenplug Four All-PAC selections: Bergas Anargya (1st), Carter Hassenplug (1st), Faaris Cheema (HM), Zachary Melzar (HM) 2023 Women Third Place at PAC Championships Three All-PAC selections: Elisa Gomez (2nd), Jenny Beth Brundige (2nd), Sarah Pillittieri (HM) 2022 Men Two All-NCAC selections: Carter Hassenplug (1st), Zachary Melzar (2nd) 2022 Women Three All-NCAC selections: Camille O'Halloran (2nd), Kelsi Zik (HM), Jenny Beth Brundige (HM) 2021 Men All-NCAC: Matthew Del Rosso (1st) 2020 Men GCAA All-American Academic Team Three GCAA All-American Scholars: Ryan Dayton, Alex Lawson, Tyler Pham All-Region: Matthew Del Rosso  2020 Women Two WGCA Scholar All-Americans: Ally Simmers, Camille O’Halloran 2019 Men Three All-NCAC golfers: Alex Lawson (1st), Matthew Del Rosso (2nd), Tyler Pham (HM) 2019 Women All-NCAC: Ali Metzger (HM) 2018 Men All-Region: Louis Olsakovsky NCAC Individual Champion: Louis Olsakovsky NCAC Newcomer of the Year: Louis Olsakovsky All-NCAC: Louis Olsakovsky 2018 Women WGCA Scholar All-American: Kayla Orr All-NCAC: Ali Metzger (HM) 2017 Men NCAC Runner-up Four All-NCAC: Bobby Hapanowicz (1st), Jesse Clemente (2nd), Sam Gray (HM), Collin Haag (HM)  2017 Women WGCA Scholar All-Americans: Kayla Orr, Erin McNamara All-NCAC Ali Metzger (HM)  2016 Men GCAA All-American Scholar: Jimmy Lasher Two All-Region golfers: Jimmy Lasher, Robby Pickett NCAC Runner-up NCAC Individual Champion: Jimmy Lasher NCAC Player of the Year: Jimmy Lasher Three All-NCAC golfers: Jimmy Lasher (1st), Robby Pickett (1st), Collin Haag (HM)  2016 Women WGCA Scholar All-American: Kayla Orr All-NCAC: Ali Metzger (2nd) 2015 Men GCAA All-American Scholar: Jimmy Lasher All-Region: Jimmy Lasher All-NCAC: Jimmy Lasher (1st)  2015 Women WGCA Scholar All-American: Kayla Orr Two All-NCAC golfers: Alexandra Grimaldis (HM), Lauren Wind (HM) 2014 Men All-American: Oliver White GCAA All-American Scholar: Oliver White All-Region: Oliver White NCAC Player of the Year: Oliver White All-NCAC: Oliver White  2014 Women WGCA Scholar All-American: Miranda Santucci Two All-NCAC golfers: Miranda Santucci (1st), Alexandra Grimaldis (2nd)  2013 Men All-American: Oliver White GCAA All-American Scholar: Oliver White Two All-Region golfers: Oliver White, Patrick Fritz Two All-NCAC golfers: Patrick Fritz (1st), Oliver White (1st)  2013 Women WGCA Scholar All-American: Miranda Santucci All-Region: Liz Blyth Three All-NCAC golfers: Miranda Santucci (1st), Liz Blyth (1st), Sarah Vorder Bruegge (HM) 2012 Men GCAA Scholar All-American: Matt Donahoe Two All-NCAC golfers: Oliver White (2nd), Matt Donahoe (2nd)  2012 Women Ninth-place at NCAA Championships Two WGCA Scholar All-Americans: Abby Sorenson, Lauren Hammell Four All-NCAC golfers: Miranda Santucci (1st), Lauren Hammel (1st), Liz Blyth (2nd), Sarah Vorder Bruegge (2nd)  2011 Men All-American: Oliver White GCAA Scholar All-American: Matt Donahoe All-Region: Oliver White Two All-NCAC golfers: Matt Donahoe (1st), Oliver White (HM)  2011 Women Sixth-place at NCAA Championships All-American: Liz Blyth Four WGCA Scholar All-Americans: Abby Sorensen, Lauren Hammell, Courtney Klein, Laura Hilger NCAC Champions NCAC Individual Champion: Hannah Schonau-Taylor NCAC Player of the Year: Hannah Schonau-Taylor NCAC Coach of the Year Five All-NCAC golfers: Hannah Schonau-Taylor (1st), Lauren Hammell (1st), Liz Blyth (1st), Sarah Vorder Bruegge (1st), Courney Klein (1st) 2010 Men All-Region: Matt Donahoe Four All-NCAC golfers: Matt Donahoe (1st), Mike Flickinger (2nd), Rob Hippert (2nd), Patrick Fritz (HM) 2010 Women Ninth-place at NCAA Championships Two WGCA Scholar All-Americans: Courtney Klein, Laura Hilger All-American: Liz Blyth All-Region: Hannah Schonau-Taylor 2009 Men All-American: Mike Wolfe GCAA Scholar All-American: Tony Briggs Two All-Region golfers: Mike Wolfe, Christian Goetz Region Coach of the Year Four All-NCAC golfers: Kyle Jastromb (HM), Billy Wisniewski (HM), Mike Wolfe (HM), Tony Briggs (HM) 2009 Women Seventh-place at NCAA Championships WGCA Scholar All-American: Lauren Hoiger Two All-Region honors: Hannah Schonau-Taylor, Jamie Reints  2008 Men Two GCAA Scholar All-Americans: Billy Wisniewski, Corey Shemelya Three All-Region golfers: Mike Wolfe, Kyle Jastrom, Christian Goetz Three All-NCAC golfers: Mike Wolfe (1st), Kyle Jastromb (1st), Christian Goetz (1st)  2008 Women Ninth-place at NCAA Championships WGCA Scholar All-American: Lauren Hilger Region Coach of the Year  2007 Men Two All-Region golfers: Mike Wolfe, Christian Goetz Four All-NCAC golfers: Chris Moore (1st), Christian Goetz (1st), Mike Wolfe (2nd), Kyle Jastromb (HM)  2007 Women 11th-place at NCAA Championships  2006 Men Tenth-place at NCAA Championships NCAA Rookie of the Year: Chris Moore Two All-Americans: Chris Moore, Drew Denton Region Rookie of the Year: Chris Moore Two All-Region golfers: Chad Kosanovic, Chris Moore NCAC Champions NCAC Coach of the Year Five All-NCAC golfers: Chris Moore (1st), Kyle Jastromb (2nd), Chris Kosanovic (2nd), Drew Denton (2nd), Mike Wolfe (2nd)  2005 Men 16th-place at NCAA Championships All-American: Ben Rathfon Two All-Region golfers: Ben Rathfon, John Bremberg NCAC Runner-up NCAC Player of the Year: Ben Rathfon NCAC Coach of the Year Three All-NCAC golfers: John Brumberg (1st), Drew Denton (1st), Ben Rathfon (1st)  2004 Men 19th-place at NCAA Championships All-American: Ben Rathfon GCAA Scholar All-American: Darren Eades Region Coach of the Year Three All-Region golfers: Ben Rathfon, Darren Eades, Ryan Zurowski Two All-NCAC golfers: Darren Eades (1st), Ben Rathfon (2nd)  2003 Men 19th-place at NCAA Championships All-American: Ben Rathfon Two All-Region golfers: Ben Rathfon, Dave Lester NCAC Player of the Year: Ben Rathfon Two All-NCAC golfers: Ben Rathfon (1st), David Lester (2nd)  2002 Men 17th-place at NCAA Championships All-American: Ben Rathfon Region Rookie of the Year: Ben Rathfon Two All-Region golfers: Ben Rathfon, David Whitaker NCAC Runner-up NCAC Individual Champion: Ben Rathfon Three All-NCAC selections: Ben Rathfon (1st), David Whitaker (1st), David Lester (1st)  

Sorensen, the 2012 Allegheny College valedictorian, returns to Meadville after spending the two seasons as the head women's golf coach at Division II Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania.   In 2013-14, she guided the Golden Knights to a total of five team titles, including the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championship, en-route to earning PSAC Coach of the Year laurels.  During her first year at the helm, the Golden Knights turned in a total of six top-five finishes, highlighted by a second-place performance at the PSAC championships. During her career as a student-athlete at Allegheny, Sorensen was part of three squads that qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championship, while the Gators won the North Coast Athletic Conference crown in 2010-11, and finished second at the league championship in 2011-12.  Individually, she turned in six top-10 finishes in her career, highlighted by a second-place effort at the 2011 Allegheny Invitational, and a seventh-place finish as the first event of the 2010 NCAC Championship Series.  She was named to the National Golf Association's All-America Scholar Team following both her junior and senior seasons. An Erie native and product of Villa Maria Academy, Sorensen graduated from Allegheny with a degree in women's studies and a minor in political science, and was a two-time Doane Scholar and three-time Distinguished Alden Scholar.  She is currently employed full-time as a marketing/events manager at Jameson Publishing in Erie.