HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Fla. — The No. 9 Illinois Wesleyan men’s golf team finished as the national runner-up for the second consecutive season Friday at the 2026 NCAA Division III National Championship in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.
 
The Titans and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps finished 72 holes tied at 13-under-par before CMS won the national title in a five-man sudden-death team playoff at El Campeon Golf Course. The playoff marked the first of its kind in Division III championship history.
 
Illinois Wesleyan opened the championship at Las Colinas Golf Course, where the first round was suspended due to darkness. The Titans finished the round with a four-over 288, led by freshman Ryan Andrews’ one-under 70 in his NCAA Championship debut.
 
IWU moved to El Campeon for the second round and posted the lowest NCAA Championship round in program history, carding a nine-under 279 to move into the lead. Senior Aidan Healy and sophomore Pablo Castro led the effort with matching rounds of 69.
 
The Titans remained in front after Thursday’s third round, extending their lead to five strokes over Washington and Lee with 18 holes remaining. Senior Juney Bai shot a one-under 71 to move into a tie for 13th place alongside Castro, while senior Michael Spitzer also added a 71 that included an eagle on the first hole. Illinois Wesleyan entered the final round at five-under-par as a team.
 
IWU closed the tournament Friday with an eight-under 280, but CMS forced the playoff after shooting a tournament-low 15-under 273. The Titans finished the championship at 13-under-par, matching CMS through regulation before the title was decided in extra holes.
 
Castro tied for seventh individually, continuing a four-year run in which an Illinois Wesleyan golfer has finished in the top 10 at the national championship. He was later recognized as a PING First Team All-American.
 
Spitzer tied for 18th, marking his third consecutive top-20 finish at the national championship. Andrews tied for 20th, the best finish by an Illinois Wesleyan freshman in program history, while Bai placed 24th in his fourth NCAA Championship appearance.
 
The runner-up finish closed the collegiate careers of Bai, Spitzer, Healy, Nate Bibbey and Myles Lahart. The senior class helped Illinois Wesleyan add four national trophies during its time in the program, including national championships in 2019 and 2021 and runner-up finishes in 2025 and 2026.