NAPERVILLE — The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) women’s golf spring season continued with several programs posting notable results during a week that featured individual titles, program records and team victories across multiple events. Conference teams competed through difficult weather conditions and strong regional fields as the regular season nears its conclusion.
 
Fagan Finds Another Gear on the Green
For the second consecutive week, Illinois Wesleyan sophomore Grace Fagan was named the CCIW Women’s Golf Student-Athlete of the Week. The recognition followed her performance at the UW-Whitewater Spring Invite at Janesville Riverside Golf Club, where she tied for second place in a 100-player field with a one-over-par 73. The event was shortened to 18 holes because of severe weather and tornado warnings. 
 
Fagan’s round included four birdies on the front nine as she helped the No. 21-ranked Titans finish third out of 18 teams with a score of 314. Illinois Wesleyan’s “B” team placed fourth at 322, led by Caroline Carr’s 78 and Breanna Brown’s 79.
 
Michigan Mastery for the Firebirds
Carthage earned the team title at the Albion Spring Invite in Marshall, Mich., posting rounds of 327 and 325 for a 36-hole total of 652 (+76). Lexi Manteufel led the Firebirds by winning individual medalist honors with a 148 (+4), opening with a 75 before shooting a 73 in the second round. Her final round included five birdies, including back-to-back birdies on two separate occasions. 
 
Ro Longden finished second individually with a 160 (+16), while freshman Nina Mayfield placed eighth with a 168 (+24), a collegiate personal best aided by seven one-putt greens. Earlier in the week, Carthage tied for ninth at the weather-shortened UW-Whitewater event, where Manteufel paced the lineup with an eighth-place finish.
 
Cardinal Career Closes with a Record-Setting Tap-In
North Central concluded its 2025-26 season Wednesday at the Millikin Spring Shootout with a team title and a program record. Senior Mallorie Clifton finished her career as the Cardinals’ all-time leader in stroke average at 82.17 over 67 rounds. Clifton carded an 80 (+8) at The Rail Golf Course, highlighted by a tee shot on the par-three ninth that settled two feet from the hole and led to a birdie. North Central posted a team score of 323 to win the event by two strokes, marking the program’s first team victory since the fall of 2023. 
 
Junior Caterina Calabria shared medalist honors after shooting a career-best 75 (+3), and Anna Meinhart added a third-place finish with a 78. The Cardinals had also competed at the UW-Whitewater Spring Fling, where they finished 12th and were led by Meinhart’s 80.
 
Vikings’ Rookie Roundup: Eagles and Medals
Augustana finished second at the Millikin Spring Shootout with a team score of 325, two strokes behind North Central. Freshman Riley Kinsella shared medalist honors after shooting a three-over-par 75. Her round included an eagle on the 15th hole, four total birdies and a three-under-par finish across her final four holes. Lauren Reinertson and Georgia Holt both tied for fifth with rounds of 83. 
 
The result followed a tie for ninth place by the Vikings at the UW-Whitewater Spring Invite, where they posted a 334.
 
Weathering the Storm and Scaling the Leaderboard
Carroll was among the teams affected by severe weather at the UW-Whitewater Spring Invite, where only nine holes were completed on the opening day before play was suspended because of tornado warnings. The Pioneers went on to place 15th out of 18 teams, led by Scarlett Lindgren’s 85 (+13). 
 
Carroll improved its standing at the Benedictine Invitational at St. Andrews Golf & Country Club, tying for third in a 14-team field with a team score of +50. Lindgren again led the team with an 80 to finish sixth individually, while Lynea Sekany and Lauren Lostetter turned in rounds of 85 and 86, respectively.
 
Bluejays and Thunder Close Out at St. Andrews
Elmhurst and Wheaton were also in action at the Benedictine Invitational in West Chicago. Elmhurst finished eighth out of 14 teams with a score of 364 (+76), led by Elise Nelson and Laine Leonard, who posted rounds of 85 and 86 to finish among the top 20 individually. Earlier in the week, Nelson shot an 81 in a dual match against Lake Forest. 
 
Wheaton placed 11th at Benedictine with a team total of 385, while freshman Emma Lee, an All-CCIW selection, led the Thunder with an 87 (+15) to tie for 24th place. North Park also competed in the event and recorded individual results.
 
The Road to the Finish Line and the National Stage
Conference teams now move into the final portion of the spring schedule. Carthage’s junior varsity team is set to compete Thursday at the Melee in Morris, while the full Firebird squad will travel to the Wartburg Women’s Spring Golf Invitational on Saturday and Sunday. 
 
Augustana and Carroll are both scheduled to compete at the Viking Invitational in Rock Island this weekend, and Millikin will face Carl Sandburg on Sunday in Metamora. North Park will play in the Strawberry Creek Invite next Monday, while Wheaton will conclude its season the same day at the Carthage Spring Invite. 
 
Illinois Wesleyan has completed its regular season and will next prepare for the NCAA Division III Women’s Golf Championship, which begins May 19 in Palm Desert, Calif.