Keshav and Grinnell teammates make their mark at NCAA D-III Women's Golf Championships

Individual and school records tumble on final day of national event

Results

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - To say Grinnell College's trip to the NCAA Division III Women's Golf Championships was a roaring success would be an understatement.

Kavya Keshav '26 matched the program's highest-ever individual finish at the event and the team posted its second-best finish in history at Kingsmill Resort

Keshav tied for seventh in a massive field of 175 golfers with a four-round tally of 5-over-par 293, shattering the program record for best 72-hole score. That beat the previous Pioneer best of 303, established by Vidushi Keni at the 2019 national event. Keni was seventh in 2019, Grinnell's best finish at nationals until Keshav matched it in 2025.

As a team, the Pioneers rode their lightning-fast start to a 13th-place finish. Their four-day score of 1220 not only shattered the previous four-round school record of 1256 established last year, but marked the second-best national placing only behind the ninth-place finish in 2019.

Grinnell had its best 18-hole round of the tournament on Friday, shooting a 304 after going 305, 306 and 305 on previous days.

Grinnell, ranked 30th nationally, defeated 10th-ranked St. Catherine by one stroke in the standings and 20th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan by two shots. Second-ranked Emory won the team crown with an 1168, 13 shots better than top-ranked Carnegie Mellon.

Keshav was not only Grinnell's top performer at the meet, but also on Friday as she fired a 1-under-par 71 on the River Course. That round included birdies on holes 2, 3 and 14.

Emily Lackershire '27 was also impressive with a 2-over-par 74, with birdies coming on holes 5, 9 and 11. Vidushi Keni '26 finished at 77, Mary Li '25 recorded an 82 and Amy Nguyen '26 shot 83. All three had one birdie Friday, with Keni's coming on hole 5 and Li and Nguyen each recording one on No. 9.

Keshav tied Sydney Kuo of Washington University-St. Louis for seventh place. Carys Code of Emory won the individual title with a 3-under-par 285, edging Cecilia Jia of Carnegie Mellon by two shots.

Keni was Grinnell's next-highest finisher with a four-day score of 310, tying for fourth-best mark in GC history. Lackershire had an overall score of 314, Li shot a 315 and Nguyen shot 319. Lackershire's score is eighth-best in program history and Li's the ninth-best.

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Players Mentioned

Vidushi Keni: Junior

Kavya Keshav: Junior

Emily Lackershire: Sophomore

Mary Li: Senior

Amy Nguyen: Junior

Players Mentioned

Vidushi Keni
: Junior

Kavya Keshav
: Junior

Emily Lackershire
: Sophomore

Mary Li
: Senior

Amy Nguyen
: Junior