Metamora, Ill. -- The Thunder women's golf team returned to Metamora Fields Golf Club on Saturday morning for the third and final round of the 2026 CCIW Championship. Wheaton's position in the standings did not change throughout the weekend, with the Orange and Blue remaining in seventh place this afternoon to close out the tournament. Sophomore Emma Lee completed the three-round competition as the Thunder's highest finisher, tying for 21st on the 48-player leaderboard. Wheaton's fall schedule is now complete, and the team will head into its annual six-month break before resuming play in the spring of 2027.

Illinois Wesleyan University made it five conference championship wins in a row thanks to a comfortable 30-stroke margin over the runner-up, Carthage College. North Central College finished a distant third and edged fourth-placed Augustana College by a single shot. Millikin University came in fifth place while Carroll University took sixth. Wheaton finished the tournament with a three-day total score of 1057, entering the clubhouse 13 strokes in front of Elmhurst University in eighth. Saturday's closing section proved to be a difficult one, as four of the eight teams had their highest-scoring rounds of the competition this afternoon.

Lee registered an 86 (+15) across the final 18 holes to finish just outside of the top 20 on this weekend's leaderboard with a three-round tally of 249. The second-year competitor posted the top round of the Thunder's six-player team on each of the three days of play. Fellow sophomore Abby Crutchley tied for 33rd overall after shooting an 88 this afternoon to earn a combined total of 262, and she finished five shots ahead of another sophomore, Ava Hartnett (267), who carded a 91 in Saturday's final leg. 

Junior Abi Edwards completed the tournament with a three-round score of 279 following her 94 mark today. The senior pair of Molly Holbert and Abby Smith finished side-by-side in the solo standings at their final conference championship. Holbert registered a 97 this afternoon to end the weekend with a cumulative tally of 289, while Smith carded a 102 in Saturday's round to conclude the competition with a 303 total.

At the end of the championship, the CCIW announced each program's winner of the RESPECT Award, which recognizes individuals who embody the conference's core values of Responsibility, Enthusiasm, Service, Pride, Excellence, Collaboration and Teamwork. Abby Smith was Wheaton's RESPECT Award recipient for 2026-27.
 

---

 
Metamora, Ill. -- The second round of the 2026 CCIW Women's Golf Championship took place at Metamora Fields Golf Club on Friday under clear skies following yesterday's rain-soaked opening section. Today's 18 holes saw no movement in the eight-team standings, as Wheaton remained in seventh place while improving its cumulative first-round showing by two strokes. Emma Lee led the way for the Thunder once again with the day's best score among Wheaton's six-player squad.

Thursday's early leader, Illinois Wesleyan, significantly expanded its advantage over second-placed Carthage this afternoon, as the Titans bettered their opening round tally by nine shots while the Firebirds doubled their combined score from the first 18. IWU now sits in first place on a two-day mark of 583 (+15) and leads Carthage by 35 strokes. In turn, the Firebirds have a 20-shot cushion over third-placed Augustana in the top half of the standings. Wheaton lowered its Thursday score of 350 to 348 this morning and maintained its spot in seventh with a two-round tally of 698, 23 strokes behind Carroll in sixth. Elmhurst trails the Thunder by 15 shots with an updated team score of 713 after the second of three rounds in central Illinois.

The sophomore Lee (pictured right) improved her first-round performance by one shot on Friday, posting an 18-hole mark of 81 (+10) to give herself a tournament score of 163. The California native is currently tied for 18th on the leaderboard and will aim to secure her second-consecutive All-CCIW accolade in Saturday's final segment. 

Abby Crutchley and Ava Hartnett stayed close by each other in the solo standings today, as the former carded an 85 via a four-stroke drop from yesterday's opening round and the latter bettered her Thursday score by two strokes with an 87. Crutchley owns a two-round total of 174 and is tied for 33rd place, while Harnett is two shots behind her and tied for 35th.

Abi Edwards registered a 95 on Friday to put her two-day tally at 185. Molly Holbert and Abby Smith both enjoyed lower round scores this afternoon, with Holbert joining Edwards on a 95 for the day and Smith carding a 98.  

The Thunder team will close out this year's championship and its fall season on Saturday, with the tournament's third and final round beginning at 9:00 AM tomorrow.
 

---

 
Metamora, Ill. -- The 2026 CCIW Women's Golf Championship began on Thursday, and all six Wheaton players on this season's roster are taking part in the three-day tournament, which is being held at the Metamora Fields Golf Club for the fourth-straight season. This weekend's championship consists of three rounds played on consecutive days with eight participating teams. The Thunder are currently in seventh place after the first 18 holes and were led by 2025 All-Conference performer Emma Lee today, who posted the team's leading score in the opening round. 

Four-time defending conference champion Illinois Wesleyan University leads the field after the tournament's first section thanks to a combined team score of 296 (+12). Carthage College registered a 301 (+17) total this afternoon to establish a second-placed standing, and the Firebirds have an 18-stroke advantage over Augustana College in third place on 319.

Wheaton entered the Day 1 clubhouse on a cumulative mark of 350 and is 16 shots ahead of Elmhurst University in eighth. The Thunder will begin tomorrow's round 17 strokes behind sixth-placed Carroll University.

Wheaton's score at this year's tournament will be determined by its four highest-finishing players, and Lee led the squad on Thursday with a round total of 82 (+11) that puts her in a tie for 17th place on the 48-woman leaderboard.

Abby Crutchley, Ava Hartnett, and Abi Edwards completed the first round with similar scores, as the former two each registered an 89 to tie in 34th place and Edwards came in one stroke behind them on 90 as part of a four-player tie for 37th.

The senior duo of Molly Holbert and Abby Smith began their final CCIW Championship appearances with respective tallies of 97 and 103 this afternoon.

Friday's second round will tee off at 9:00 AM in central Illinois with Wheaton among the first teams to start the day's play.