METAMORA, Ill. – The 28th annual College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Women’s Golf Championship is scheduled to begin Thursday at 8 a.m. at Metamora Fields Golf Club in Metamora, Ill. Defending champion Illinois Wesleyan is the favorite to repeat, according to a pre-championship coaches’ poll conducted earlier this week.
 
The 54-hole event will feature full rounds on Thursday, Friday and Saturday beginning at 8 a.m. each day. Seven of nine CCIW squads participated in the CCIW Preview event at Metamora Fields on Sept. 13.

2023 CCIW Women's Golf Pre-Championship Coaches' Poll

Team (First-place votes)	Points
1. Illinois Wesleyan (8)	64
2. Augustana (1)	55
T3. Carthage	43
T3. Elmhurst	43
5. Millikin	37
6. North Central	32
7. Carroll	20
8. Wheaton	17
9. North Park	13

Illinois Wesleyan received eight first-place votes and the maximum 64 points in the coaches’ poll. The Titans return all six of their top-10 finishers from last October’s CCIW Championship, including medalist Lexi Onsrud and runner-up Emma Thorman. IWU fired 925 as a team during the 2022 CCIW title run, topping runner-up Augustana by 45 shots before later earning a 12th-place finish at the NCAA Championship last May.
 
Augustana was second in the poll with 55 points and was the recipient of the lone remaining first-place vote. Elena Kuczkowski, a junior, returns for Augie after notching an eighth-place finish at the CCIW Championship in 2022.
 
Carthage and Elmhurst tied for third place in Tuesday’s poll, followed by Millikin in fifth and North Central in sixth. Carroll, Wheaton and North Park rounded out the predicted order of finish from the coaches. Wheaton’s Lizzy Stone is scheduled to be in the lineup after placing fourth in last season’s championship.
 
Tee times and live results will be posted via Golfstat and CCIW.org. The team winner of this weekend's championship will be designated as the "conference champion" and will earn the conference's automatic bid to the 2023 NCAA Division III Women's Golf Championship in May in Nicholasville, Ky.