Grinnell men's golf team enjoys historical run to claim first conference championship in 53 years

Pioneers win close battle to earn SLIAC crown

Results

CASEYVILLE, Ill. - The 2026 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Men's Golf Championship turned out to be a history-making event for the Grinnell College men's squad.

The Pioneers claimed their first men's golf conference championship in 53 years, nabbing the title Tuesday in a tournament featuring a see-sawing lead among the top contenders. The championship also provided Grinnell the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Championship, which will be May 12-15 at Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.

Connor McKay of Grinnell was named SLIAC Coach of the Year, while Spencer Moody '29 earned Freshman of the Year honors.

Grinnell, which led after the first round, fell behind Mississippi University for Women after two rounds at Far Oaks Golf Club. But the Pioneers rebounded in the third and final round, with the lead switching back and forth between the two before Grinnell emerged victorious with a school-record score of 886. MU-W was second at 889.

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Not only did the 54-hole score break the previous GC mark of 906 set in the SLIAC Championship two years ago, but Moody broke the individual school mark of 220 set by Dave Sellergren in 1964. Moody's score of even-par 216 was good for second-place in the 64-golfer field, just two shots behind champion Cameron James of MU-W.

Moody had the shot of the day, registering an eagle on the par-5, 541-yard 14th hole. He also posted four birdies while finishing at 2-under-par 70.

Josh Udelson '29 tied for sixth with a 220, which is tied for second-best in program history, after shooting a 75 on Tuesday. He had one birdie on the day.

Everett Williams '29 and Roger Smith '28 were 17th and tied for 18th, respectively, with scores of 227 and 228. Williams shot 74 on Tuesday with one birdie and Smith added a 78 with two birdies. Max Shin '29 tied for 26th with a 231, shooting a 76 on the final day with the aid of two birdies.

Udelson and Moody were named to the All-SLIAC First Team, while Moody also collected the Sportsmanship Award. MU-W's James was Player of the Year and Lyon College collected the Team Sportsmanship Award.

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Players Mentioned

Roger Smith: Sophomore

Spencer Moody: First-Year

Max Shin: First-Year

Josh Udelson: First-Year

Everett Williams: First-Year

Players Mentioned

Roger Smith
: Sophomore

Spencer Moody
: First-Year

Max Shin
: First-Year

Josh Udelson
: First-Year

Everett Williams
: First-Year