Grinnell women's golf team destroys SLIAC scoring mark while winning another title

Meilin Hoshino defends individual crown

Results

METAMORA, Ill. - Winning another St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) women's golf championship may not have been a surprise to many.

But the amount by which Grinnell College shattered the league and school records was simply astounding.

Grinnell shot a 289 Tuesday at Metamora Fields Golf Club to finish with an 873, destroying the previous league and GC marks of 907 established at last season's meet. With the team title, Grinnell earns the league's automatic berth to next spring's NCAA Division III Championship.

The Pioneers' 289 on Tuesday is the second-best 18-hole round in program history, only one shot behind yesterday's round. Grinnell has won six SLIAC titles in a row and 12 crowns overall, with the previous six as part of the Midwest Conference.

Meilin Hoshino '27 defended her individual title and Player of the Year crown, shooting 1-over-par 73 on Tuesday for a three-day score of 213. That is just one shot off her SLIAC and GC record of 212 set last year.

Grinnell was simply dominant, owning the top five individual places in the meet and eight of the top 10 while boasting the Coach of the Year, Connor McKay.

Hoshino's 73 on Tuesday included four birdies. Vidushi Keni '26 shot a 1-under 71 on the final day for a final score of 216, placing second in the field with the third-best score in program history. Keni had a trio of birdies in her final round.

Hoshino and Keni were followed by Kavya Keshav '26 (219, fourth-best in program history), Mary Li '25 (224) and Amy Nguyen '26 (225). Nguyen scorched the course with a 2-under 70 on Tuesday, the fourth-best round in GC history, with the aid of six birdies. Li, who earned the Sportsmanship Award, had a 74 with three birdies and Keshav's 75 included one birdie.

Saya Geisendorfer '27, Emily Lackershire '27 and SLIAC Freshman of the Year Waverly Yang '28 finished eighth through 10th with scores of 234, 235 and 238, respectively. On the last day, Lackershire shot 77 with one birdie, Geisendorfer had a 78 with two birdies and Yang fired a 79 with two birdies.

Geisendorfer, Hoshino, Keni, Keshav, Li and Nguyen were all named to the All-SLIAC first team, while Lackershire and Yang were second-team picks. Li also won the Sportsmanship Award.

Sara Meneses '26 rounded out Grinnell's lineup, shooting an 82 Tuesday for a score of 251.

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Players Mentioned

Saya Geisendorfer: Sophomore

Meilin Hoshino: Sophomore

Vidushi Keni: Junior

Kavya Keshav: Junior

Emily Lackershire: Sophomore

Mary Li: Senior

Sara Meneses: Junior

Amy Nguyen: Junior

Waverly Yang: First-Year

Players Mentioned

Saya Geisendorfer
: Sophomore

Meilin Hoshino
: Sophomore

Vidushi Keni
: Junior

Kavya Keshav
: Junior

Emily Lackershire
: Sophomore

Mary Li
: Senior

Sara Meneses
: Junior

Amy Nguyen
: Junior

Waverly Yang
: First-Year