Wolfpack's Mischel signs with Shorter

Lloyd DeFoor kept the newspaper clipping on his desk three weeks before he was able to reach Greenbrier High School's homecoming queen.

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DeFoor, the chairman of the Greater Augusta Fellowship of Christian Athletes, read about Ivey Mischel's crowning and all the extracurricular activities the Greenbrier senior was involved with. He read that Mischel was basing her college decision partly on whether she would be able to play golf.

DeFoor, a 1973 Shorter College graduate, tried to track down Mischel for weeks before finally getting her phone number from a mutual friend.

"He called me and said, 'You're a perfect candidate for Shorter. I think we can get you a golf scholarship if you want to play golf, and I think we can get you a full ride,' " Mischel said. "I was like, 'Whoa, that's great.' "

DeFoor then called Shorter golf coach Greg Owens.

"He called me and said, 'This is a Shorter girl,' " Owens said.

Mischel visited the Rome, Ga., school and played a round of golf with the Hawks' top golfer. It didn't take long for her to make a decision.

Before the phone call from DeFoor, Mischel wasn't pushing her college plans. She knew she wanted to go to school somewhere small, and she wanted to play golf.

"With everything that happened with Shorter, it was totally a godsend and I can't get anywhere better," Mischel said. "So I just kind of said, 'OK. Let's go get this over with. Make this official.' "

Mischel signed paperwork Dec. 14, granting her a paid education through athletic and academic scholarships.

That she will be attending college on a golf scholarship might have been laughable three years ago.

Mischel had not picked up a golf club before her sophomore year. She played soccer and swam, both year-round. She gave up soccer after she had enough with injuries. A year later, her dad encouraged her to try golf.

She played for a while, but put the clubs down for a year and didn't start again until the winter of her junior year.

The following spring, she was girls medalist at the Region 2-AAAAA tournament and qualified for state.

Mischel said she is still learning the nuances of the game. But she can hit the ball a long way. Owens said her short game would improve during her freshman year.

Owens said Mischel's biggest draw was her success as a student. He said she might be able to serve as a tutor to some of the school's other athletes.

"The most difficult thing for a freshman to do is become a sophomore," Owens said. "We want grades, first and foremost. She's very talented in the classroom, so we don't anticipate any grade issues."