NORTH PLAINS, Ore.—Lewis & Clark College women's golf is set to close out their season this weekend, when they compete in the Northwest Conference Championship. The River Otters head into the third and final NWC tournament of the season in a strong position after finishing third at the NWC Spring Classic in early April. 
 
This weekend's tournament will take place on April 19-20 at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club. Tee times are set for 9:00 a.m. shotgun starts on both Sunday and Monday. Fans can follow along with the live results link. 
 
NORTHWEST CONFERENCE MID-SEASON POLL 
 
 After finishing fifth at the Northwest Conference Fall Classic in October, women's golf was selected to finish fifth in the NWC Midseason Preseason Coaches' Poll. The River Otters received 39 points to finish just behind fourth-place Whitworth University (43 points). 
 
Lewis & Clark is looking to continue their ascension up the NWC Standings. They failed to register a team score in 2022-23 or 2023-24, but moved all the way up to fifth place in 2024-25. The River Otters finished sixth in the NWC Fall Classic and placed fifth in each of the final two tournaments.
 
George Fox University was picked to finish first after winning their 12^th-straight NWC Title in 2025. The Bruins picked up eight of the nine first-place votes and 64 points. George Fox has won both the NWC Fall and Spring Classics and owns a 19-stroke lead after two tournaments. Whitman University (53 points) and Pacific University (48 points, one first-place vote) round out the top-four in the poll. 

RECAPPING THE NWC FALL CLASSIC 
 
Lewis & Clark sat tied for second after Day One but ultimately placed fifth overall at Oswego Lake Country Club. The River Otters were part of a packed top-five in the team standings with the five teams separated by just 12 strokes. George Fox (+76) narrowly edged Pacific (+80), Whitman (+82), Whitworth (+84) and Lewis & Clark (+88). The sixth-place team, the University of Puget Sound, finished 39 strokes behind Lewis & Clark. 
 
Sophomore Ahika Jani led a young team that featured three sophomores and two first years. Jani finished tied for second in the field with a score of 159 (+13). She tied with Pacific's Bead Boonta (159) and finished six strokes behind George Fox University's Katelyn Lam (153, +7). Sophomore Evie Denton (167, +21) placed second on the team and in a tie for seventh overall. It marked the best finish at a NWC event of her career. 
 
First years Darwyn Kormany and Kimber Yoder and sophomore Julia Klenk comprised the final three members of the River Otters lineup. Kormany placed tied for 18^th with a 171 (+25). Yoder recorded a score of 175 (+29) to finish in a tie for 23^rd place. Klenk ended the tournament in 32^nd place with a score of 183 (+37). 

RECAPPING THE NWC SPRING CLASSIC 
 
Women's golf put together one of their best performances of the year, as they finished third overall at the Oakbrook Golf Club in Tacoma, Washington. The River Otters sat in fourth place after Day One but posted their third-lowest round of the season (+25) on Sunday to move up to third place. For the tournament, Lewis & Clark finished at +58 to easily edge Whitman (+68) and Pacific (+78). George Fox University (+34) won the team title and finished 11 strokes ahead of second-place Whitworth (+45). 
 
Jani earned her first career NWC event victory and her fourth win of the season. She shot a 147 (74-73) to finish four strokes ahead of the rest of the field. Her two-day score of +3 marked the best 36-hole score of her career. 
 
Denton moved up six spots on Day Two to finish 13^th overall. She shaved off four strokes from her Saturday score to finish with a 160 (+16). Yoder was just behind her. The first year shot a 161 (+17) to placed tied for 14^th overall. Kormany matched Denton by improving four strokes from Saturday to Sunday. She shot a 166 (+22) to finish 21^st overall. Klenk improved her score from Saturday to Sunday as well and shot a 169 (+25) to place 24^th. 
 
WHERE THEY STAND 
 
Women's golf sits third overall after the first two tournaments based on their aggregate strokes on the season. The River Otters have posted 1,306 strokes across their first two tournaments. 
 
George Fox University sits first overall with 1,270 strokes and Whitworth is just behind them with 1,289. Whitman College (1,310) and Pacific University (1,318) are just behind Lewis & Clark in fourth and fifth places. 
 
In the individual standings, Jani sits first overall after two tournaments. The NWC Player of the Year and the All-Conference standings are based on order of finish at all three NWC events. Student-athletes who finish in the top-12 of an event are awarded points with the first-place finisher taking home 12 points and the point descend all the way to the 12^th-place finisher who earns one point. The points for the NWC Championship are doubled – with the winner claiming 24 points. 
 
Jani currently sits first in the conference with 22.5 points (first place and tied for second). Lam (GFU) and Boonta (Pacific) are tied for second in the conference with 20.5 points. Denton is the only other Lewis & Clark player to have recorded points this season, after placing tied for seventh in the fall (5.5 points). 
 
THREE THINGS TO KNOW 

1. Lewis & Clark is aiming for their first top-four finish in the NWC Standings since the 2018-19 season. That year Lewis & Clark finished third at the NWC Fall Classic, fifth at the NWC Spring Classic and fourth at the NWC Championship. This year's third-place finish at the NWC Spring Classic was their best finish at an NWC event since the 2018 NWC Fall Classic. 
2. Jani is aiming to become the first Lewis & Clark player to win NWC medalist honors since 2002 - when L&C Hall of Famer Mari Rayner won the NWC Fall Classic and NWC Championship and was named NWC Player of the Year. Rayner went on to be named the 2002 National Rookie of the Year. 
3. Women's golf placed second out of eight teams at the Pacific Invitational in October - which was hosted at the same venue as this weekend's tournament. The River Otters (+70) finished second behind George Fox (+54), but knocked off NWC teams Whitworth (+74), Pacific (+90), the University of Puget Sound (+101) and Linfield (+184). Jani (+6) and Denton (+15) both finished in the top-five of the event and Jani claimed medalist honors against a field of 50 players.