Metamora, Ill. -- The 2025 CCIW Championship and fall season came to an end for the Thunder women's golf team on Wednesday, as the final round of the eight-team conference tournament took place at the Metamora Fields Golf Club. Wheaton finished eighth at this year's championship and concluded the event with its best round of the three-day competition. Freshman Emma Lee ended her impressive first semester of collegiate golf by finishing 13th on the individual leaderboard and earning Second Team All-CCIW recognition.

Illinois Wesleyan University secured its fourth-consecutive conference title this afternoon by registering a 303 (+19) round score to finish the tournament with a 901 (+49) mark across the three days of play. North Central ended the event 43 strokes behind the Titans as runners-up, while Augustana held its place in third. The Carthage team placed fourth with Millikin finishing fifth and Elmhurst in sixth place. The Carroll Pioneers concluded the championship in seventh place on a three-round total of 1043, while Wheaton, as the designated hosts of this year's tournament, remained in eighth despite logging its strongest round of the competition today. The Thunder squad carded a combined 342 in Wednesday's round to improve upon their Tuesday performance by 23 strokes and end the championship with a final tally of 1086.

Lee came into Wednesday's concluding round in a tie for 20th place and moved up seven spots in the standings this morning as a result of her 18-hole score of 79 (+8), her best round of the tournament by three strokes. Her three-day total mark of 244 was enough to earn her a 13th-place finish in the 49-player competition, and by placing in the Top 20 of the solo leaderboard, the rookie was named to the All-Conference Second Team. Lee became the first Wheaton women's golfer to earn All-CCIW honors since Lizzy Stone in 2022.

Fellow first-year player Abby Crutchley also carded the best round of her week by a three-stroke margin, shooting an 86 on Wednesday morning to finish in a tie for 40th place via a tournament total of 274. Ava Hartnett ended the championship just one stroke behind her fellow rookie Crutchley on a three-round tally of 275 after enjoying her most successful 18 holes of the week with a daily score of 82, improving on her Tuesday tally by a noteworthy 15 shots. Her final day on the course was highlighted by a remarkable 100-yard pitch-in from the rough on the 15th hole. 

The junior pair of Molly Holbert and Abby Smith finished side-by-side on the tournament leaderboard with final marks of 293 and 306, respectively. Holbert registered a round score of 95 this morning in her best showing of the week, and Smith ensured that all five Wheaton players had their best round of the championship on Wednesday with a personal low of 98 on today's 18 holes.

With its Fall 2025 schedule now in the books, the Thunder women's team will head into the mid-year offseason before returning to competition next spring.

 

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Metamora, Ill. -- The Thunder women's golf team returned to the Metamora Fields Golf Club on Tuesday morning for the second round of this week's CCIW Championship. Today's 18 holes of play saw no movement at the top and bottom of the team standings, as Illinois Wesleyan extended its lead in first place and Wheaton remained in eighth position despite an improved second-round performance. The eight teams competing in this year's tournament will conclude the event with a third and final round on Wednesday. 

The Thunder squad bettered its first-round total by a combined 14 strokes today, posting a second-day mark of 365 (+81) to head into the last round of competition on a two-day tally of 744. Wheaton currently sits 53 shots behind seventh-placed Carroll University, who fell in the team standings on Tuesday as a result of a round score of 349. Elmhurst moved up one place in the order into sixth by improving its first-day total of 343 by nine strokes this morning.

Emma Lee continued to lead the way for Wheaton in today's round, carding an 18-hole mark of 82 (+11) to better her opening-round total by one stroke. This score moved the freshman up three spots on the 49-player individual leaderboard into a tie for 20th place. The top ten individual finishers at this year's conference championship will earn First Team All-CCIW recognition while the golfers who place 11th-20th will garner Second Team honors, and the rookie will be aiming to secure her place among these medalists in tomorrow's final round.

Abby Crutchley had the most improved performance from day one of the Thunder group this morning, shooting an 89 (+18) to better her Monday score by ten strokes and bring her competition total to 188. Ava Hartnett registered a 97 (+26) on Tuesday and now holds a two-day score of 193. Molly Holbert matched Hartnett's 97 this morning and is just behind her first-year teammate in the solo standings on a total mark of 198. Like Holbert, Abby Smith fared four strokes better on today's 18 and tallied a round score of 102 to bring her tournament total to 208. 

Smith will be the first Wheaton golfer to tee off in Wednesday's closing round, as her start time is scheduled for 9:09 AM with her teammates following in nine-minute increments after her.

 

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Metamora, Ill. -- Three weeks after hosting the CCIW Preview competition at the Metamora Fields Golf Club, the Wheaton women's golf team has returned to the central Illinois course for the main event, the 2025 CCIW Championship. The Thunder are competing alongside seven other conference teams as the designated hosts of this year's tournament, and the event consists of three rounds over Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week. Wheaton is in eighth place in the team standings after the first 18 holes of play, with five golfers representing the Orange and Blue in the 49-player competition. 

Pre-tournament favorites and three-time reigning champions Illinois Wesleyan University lead the pack after Monday's opening round, having registered a combined team score of 301 (+17) this afternoon. Carthage College is not far behind the Titans in second place on a first-day score of 312 (+28). Wheaton carded a total team mark of 379 (+95) on Monday and currently sits 36 shots behind seventh-placed Elmhurst University on 343 (+59). North Park University is not fielding a full lineup at this week's championship and therefore will not be assigned a team score in the eight-squad standings.

Freshman golfer Emma Lee posted the Thunder's best round of the first day this afternoon, as the California native carded an 83 (+12) to currently stand in a three-way tie for 23rd place on the solo leaderboard. 

Fellow first-year player Ava Hartnett registered a score of 96 (+25) in her debut championship round, and Wheaton's third freshman competitor at this year's tournament, Abby Crutchley, is close behind Hartnett after the opening round on an 18-hole mark of 99 (+28). 

The Thunder's junior duo of Molly Holbert and Abby Smith tallied first-day marks of 101 (+30) and 106 (+35), respectively, on Monday.

Tuesday's second round of action will begin at 9:00 AM in Metamora, with Smith leading the five Wheaton participants out on a 9:09 tee time.