NORTH PLAINS, Ore.—Lewis & Clark College women's golf earned their best finish in the Northwest Conference Season Standings since the 2016-17 season, after the River Otters placed third at the NWC Championship Tournament.
THE BASICS
Women's Golf – 3
rd out of 9 Teams – 657 (325-332) +89
HOW IT HAPPENED
The River Otters entered the week sitting third in the NWC Season Standings and only improved their position after placing third at the final event of the season. Lewis & Clark shot a 657 (+89) to edge host Pacific University (+103) by 14 strokes. Whitman, who was sitting just behind Lewis & Clark coming into the weekend, did not post a team score - to fall out of the running for the top-three. Lewis & Clark posted an aggregate score of 1,963 strokes across the three NWC events to edge fourth-place Pacific by 26 shots.
Sophomore
Ahika Jani placed seventh overall to lead the River Otters at the two-day event. She shot a 79 (+8) on both days to record a 158 (+16) at the NWC Championship. Jani recorded a pair of birdies and seven pars on Monday. She notched birdies on the Par 5 fourth and Par 3 14
th holes.
First year
Kimber Yoder posted her second-straight top-15 finish at an NWC event. She placed tied for 11
th, a new career-high, after notching a two-day score of 162 (+20). The first year posted a round of 83 (+12) on Day Two. Yoder was +3 after her first two holes but then went on a run of four pars and a birdie over the next five holes. Her birdie on the Par 4 sixth hole would mark her lone birdie on the day, to go along with seven pars.
Sophomore
Evie Denton placed third on the team and tied for 16
th overall. Denton carded an 84 (+13) to finish the tournament with a score of 167 (+25). The sophomore notched seven pars and one birdie on Monday. She posted her birdie on the Par 4 seventh hole.
First year
Darwyn Kormany finished in fourth on the team and tied for 18
th in the field. She recorded a two-day total of 170 (+28). On Monday, Kormany carded a round of 86 (+15). The first year got off to a slow start with four-straight bogeys but posted two birdies and five pars across her next 13 holes.
Sophomore
Julia Klenk finished fifth on the team and 36
th overall. Klenk posted a two-day total of 192 (+50), after finishing Monday with a round of 102 (+31). The sophomore notched two pars on Monday including opening her day with a par on the Par 3 third hole.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Lewis & Clark's third-place finish in the NWC Season Standings is their best finish since the 2016-17 season (also third place). Their third-place finish at the NWC Championship is their best since 2017 – when the program placed second overall.
- George Fox University won the team title (+63) to also win the NWC Season Title. The Bruins trailed Whitworth University by five strokes after Day One, but beat the Pirates by 14 strokes on Monday to win the NWC Championship event.
- Lewis & Clark finished first in the field with their 12 birdies.
- Yoder led the field with a 4.22 (+4) average on Par 4s. Jani placed tied for sixth on Par 4s with a 4.44 average (+8).
- Whitman University's Camila Yoo (+6) defeated Pacific Lutheran University's Jayda Thomas (+11) in a playoff to win medalist honors.
- Kormany placed tied for third in the field on Par 5s (5.13, +1).
- The River Otters finished fourth in Par 3 average (3.66, +33) and fifth on Par 4s (4.77, +69) and Par 5s (5.92, +37). They also finished fifth in total pars (63).
- Yoder finished tied for first in the field in birdies (four). Jani and Kormany tied for third with three apiece.
- Lewis & Clark moved up two spots in the team standings after finishing in fifth place in 2024-25. The River Otters didn't even register a team score during the 2023-24 season.
WHAT'S NEXT
Wen's golf anticipates bringing back seven of their eight golfers, including their entire NWC Championship lineup, for the 2026-27 school year.
