By: Evan O'Kelly, Associate Commissioner for Communications

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho – The 15th edition of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women’s Golf Championships kicks off on Monday morning at the Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course, as the league’s six teams converge to determine the 2026 champion.
 
It will be a new era of women’s golf for the conference, as teams will compete in a three-round championship for the first time ever. The women’s conference championship, which was founded in 2011, was played as a two-round event in each of its first 14 years of existence. The new 54-hole format will feature one round per day from Monday-Wednesday, which mirrors the three-round format used by the NCAA at the regional and national championship events.
 
2026 GNAC Women’s Golf Championships
April 20-22, 2026 | Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course | Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Live Results Available Online Here | GNAC Women’s Golf Championships History
Course Information: Par – 72 | Yardage – 5,802 | Hole-By-Hole Course Tour
Monday, April 20: Round 1 – 7 :30 a.m. (Pacific) – Tee #1
Tuesday, April 21: Round 2 – 8:58 a.m. (Pacific) – Tee #1
Wednesday, April 22: Round 3 – 7:30 a.m. (Pacific) – Tee #10
 

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About the Course
The Coeur d’Alene Golf & Spa Resort has spared nothing to deliver the ultimate golf experience, once described as “America's Most Beautiful Resort Golf Course” by Golf Digest. As a golfer, your experience begins with a thrilling high-speed ride in a sleek mahogany boat, whisking you across the waters of Lake Coeur d’Alene to a land of meticulously manicured fairways—and that's just the beginning. Gorgeous lake views on nearly every hole await, with every feature—from hole design to luxury carts and personalized forecaddie service—all expertly curated and attended to.
 

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GNAC Women’s Golf Championships Records
36-Hole Total – 142 (72-70), Dana Smith, SFU (Apr. 22-23, 2024)
Single Round – 69, Emma Worgum, WWU (Apr. 22, 2024)
36-Hole Total, Team – 596 (298-298), Simon Fraser (Apr. 22-23, 2024)
Single Round, Team – 294, Simon Fraser (Apr. 23, 2019)
 

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Simon Fraser University Red Leafs
Clippd National Ranking (as of April 17): 36
NCAA Regional Ranking (as of April 10): 9
2025-26 Team Scoring Average: 300.3 (1st in GNAC)
GNAC Championships Team Titles: 6 (2016, 2017, 2019, 2023, 2024, 2025)
GNAC Individual Champions: 4 (2016, 2017, 2024, 2025)
2025 GNAC Championships Finish: 1st, 607 (312-295)
Head Coach: Krysta Schaus (2nd season)

2026 Lineup
1. Meera Minhas (Sr., Burnaby, BC) Stroke Avg: 74.5 GNAC Rank: 3 Clippd Rank: 107
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: 2025 – 1st place, 147 (76-71) | 2024 – 4th place, 152 (77-75) | 2023 – 3rd place, 151 (76-75)
2. Dana Smith (Jr., Campbell River, BC) Stroke Avg: 75.1 GNAC Rank: 5 Clippd Rank: 200
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: 2025 – T3rd place, 150 (77-73) | 2024 – 1st place, 142 (72-70)
3. Anaya Bhandal (Sr., Surrey, BC) Stroke Avg: 76.9 GNAC Rank: 8 Clippd Rank: 229
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: 2025 – 17th, 160 (80-80) | 2024 – T6th place, 154 (78-76)
4. Izzy Ferguson (Sr., Ottawa, Ont.) Stroke Avg: 74.9 GNAC Rank: 4 Clippd Rank: 120
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: 2025 – 5th, 151 (79-72) | 2023 – T4th place, 152 (76-76)
5. Cadence Ko (So., Richmond, BC) Stroke Avg: 74.3 GNAC Rank: 2 Clippd Rank: N/A
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: None.
 
The Red Leafs will look to make it four consecutive team titles as they will once again defend their title as conference champion. SFU has captured six women’s golf titles overall – all coming within the last nine conference championships. A fourth straight title this week would tie SFU with Western Washington for the most-ever GNAC trophies in women’s golf. The Red Leaf lineup features each of the last two GNAC individual champions in senior and reigning individual medalist Meera Minhas and junior Dana Smith who won the 2024 title. Smith is also the GNAC’s career stroke average leader at 75.03 across 58-career rounds played, while Minhas ranks third on that list at 75.41 strokes per round across a GNAC-record 85 rounds played. All five of SFU’s players rank in the top-eight in the conference in stroke average this season, with senior Izzy Ferguson also ranking fourth in conference history with a career average of 75.9 strokes across 60 rounds played. Four of SFU’s five players, including veteran Anaya Bhandal, will be competing in at least their third GNAC Championships tournament, with sophomore Cadence Ko set for her first appearance. The Red Leafs enter the tournament as the favorites, with the GNAC’s highest Clippd national ranking at 36 and the highest NCAA west-region ranking at ninth.
 

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Western Washington University Vikings
Clippd National Ranking (as of April 17): #57
NCAA Regional Ranking (as of April 10): #20
2025-26 Team Scoring Average: 307.9 (2nd in GNAC)
GNAC Championships Team Titles: 7 (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022)
GNAC Individual Champions: 7 (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2022)
2025 GNAC Championships Finish: 2nd, 611 (314-297)
Head Coach: Luke Bennett (13th season)
 
2026 Lineup
1. Lauren F. Lee (Sr., Pleasanton, Calif.) Stroke Avg: 73.6 GNAC Rank: 1 Clippd Rank: 24
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: 2025 – T3rd place, 150 (77-73) | 2024 – 9th place, 155 (81-74)
2. Kasey Maralack (Sr., Snoqualmie, Wash.) Stroke Avg: 79.4 GNAC Rank: 17 Clippd Rank: 469
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: 2025 – T10th place, 156 (82-74) | 2024 – T6th, 154 (75-79) | 2023 – 20th, 165 (84-81)
3. Jadyn Gracie (Fr., Calgary, Alberta) Stroke Avg: 79.3 GNAC Rank: 16 Clippd Rank: 475
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: None.
4. Carly Ikei (Fr., Gig Harbor, Wash.) Stroke Avg: 77.0 GNAC Rank: 9 Clippd Rank: 265
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: None.
5. Shannon Berry (Jr., Senderwood, South Africa) Stroke Avg: 82.8 GNAC Rank: 30 Clippd Rank: 696
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: None.
 
Western Washington will be in search of its eighth GNAC Championships women’s golf team title, with its most recent crowns coming in succession in 2021-22. The Vikings finished as the runner-up in each of the last two conference tournaments, and they boast a lineup that played its way to No. 57 on the Clippd national leaderboard and No. 20 in the latest NCAA regional rankings. Senior Lauren Lee has established herself as one of the best to ever compete in GNAC women’s golf, entering the tournament second in conference history with a career stroke average of 75.15 strokes across 61 rounds played. Lee embarked on a memorable run at the NCAA Championships last spring, finishing her junior year as an All-American with a tie for fourth-place nationally. She led the GNAC last year with a stroke average of 74.4, and has been even better this spring at 73.6 strokes per round to once again set the conference standard. Lee will be among the favorites for the GNAC individual title; she finished tied for third last year and ninth in 2024 during her first year with the Vikings. Senior Kasey Maralack is among the most experienced players in this year’s field, as she’ll be playing in her fourth GNAC Championships with a pair of top-10 finishes under her belt. WWU’s lineup will also feature a trio of newcomers in junior South African Shannon Berry and freshmen Jadyn Gracie and Carly Ikei.
 

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Montana State University Billings Yellowjackets
Clippd National Ranking (as of April 17): #63
NCAA Regional Ranking (as of April 10): #16
2025-26 Team Scoring Average: 312.4 (3rd in GNAC)
GNAC Championships Team Titles: None
GNAC Individual Champions: None
2025 GNAC Championships Finish: 3rd, 627 (321-306)
Head Coach: Adam Buie (5th season)
 
2026 Lineup
1. Ella Tannenberger (So., Holzgerlingen, Germany) Stroke Avg: 77.5 GNAC Rank: 11 Clippd Rank: 272
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: 2025 – 9th place, 154 (81-73)
2. Orraya Tipasathien (So., Bangkok, Thailand) Stroke Avg: 75.3 GNAC Rank: 6 Clippd Rank: 77
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: 2025 – T6th place, 152 (79-73)
3. Kyleigh McGowan (Jr., Andrews, Texas) Stroke Avg: 79.9 GNAC Rank: 18 Clippd Rank: 485
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: None.
4. Pygmy Kompoj (So., Pathum Thani, Thailand) Stroke Avg: 80.6 GNAC Rank: 21 Clippd Rank: 545
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: 2025 – T10th place, 156 (77-79)
5. Emy Cambuzat (Fr., Orgeval, France) Stroke Avg: 81.8 GNAC Rank: 26 Clippd Rank: 564
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: None.
 
On their way to the best season in program history, the Yellowjackets are on pace to break the school record for single season scoring average with their mark of 312.4 ranking third in the conference in 2025-26. That would shatter the MSUB single-season record of 316.0 strokes per round which was set a decade ago in 2015-16. Reigning first-team all-conference sophomore Orraya Tipasathien and reigning GNAC Freshman of the Year Ella Tannenberger have fueled the Yellowjackets’ success this year, ranking sixth (75.3) and 11th (77.5) respectively in the GNAC in stroke average. Nearing the end of her third collegiate season, Tipasathien ranks fifth in GNAC history with a scoring average of 76.54 across 56 rounds played. Her seven wins, 15 top-five finishes and 18 top-10 finishes are each the most of any player in conference history. Along with Pygmy Kompoj, the Yellowjacket lineup features three players who all finished in the top-10 at last year’s GNAC Championships where the team placed third overall. Junior transfer Kyleigh McGowan and freshman Emy Cambuzat further bolster MSUB’s squad as they’ll prepare for their first run at the Coeur d’Alene championship course.
 

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Seattle Pacific University Falcons
Clippd National Ranking (as of April 18): #81
2025-26 Team Scoring Average: 313.1 (4th in GNAC)
GNAC Championships Team Titles: None
GNAC Individual Champions: None
2025 GNAC Championships Finish: 6th, 658 (331-327)
Head Coach: Tyler Copp (2nd season)
 
2026 Lineup
1. Lauren J. Lee (So., Bellevue, Wash.) Stroke Avg: 76.6 GNAC Rank: 7 Clippd Rank: 258
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: 2025 – T10th place, 156 (81-75)
2. Zoe Garcia (Jr., Bend, Ore.) Stroke Avg: 77.4 GNAC Rank: 10 Clippd Rank: 204
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: 2025 – 21st place, 164 (80-84)
3. Natalie Eklund (So., Chehalis, Wash.) Stroke Avg: 80.1 GNAC Rank: 20 Clippd Rank: 534
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: 2025 – T18th place, 161 (82-79)
4. Anika Schau (So., Normandy Park, Wash.) Stroke Avg: 81.4 GNAC Rank: 24 Clippd Rank: 734
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: 2025 – T24th place, 167 (86-81)
5. Stella Johnson (Fr., Tacoma, Wash.) Stroke Avg: 82.1 GNAC Rank: 27 Clippd Rank: 780
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: None.
 
In its second season of existence, Seattle Pacific has had numerous bright spots across the 2025-26 campaign. Sophomore Lauren Lee is fresh-off the Falcons’ first-ever outright tournament victory as she took the crown at the Chico State Wildcat Invitational. She will be SPU’s top returner from last year’s conference tournament, as she tied for 10th as a freshman (competing at Western Washington). Zoe Garcia has also had a historic campaign for SPU, breaking the GNAC record for a two-round score with a 136 (68-68) earlier this spring. She also claimed a first-place finish, falling in a playoff tiebreaker at the Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout. Sophomores Natalie Eklund and Anika Schau will each bring a year of championship experience to the Falcons’ lineup, while freshman Stella Johnson earned the fifth and final spot and is set for her GNAC Championships debut.
 

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Saint Martin’s University Saints
Clippd National Ranking (as of April 17): #93
2025-26 Team Scoring Average: 317.5 (5th in GNAC)
GNAC Championships Team Titles: None
GNAC Individual Champions: 2 (2021, 2023)
2025 GNAC Championships Finish: 4th, 635 (326-309)
Head Coach: Anne Bahr (4th season)
 
2025 Lineup
1. Kelsie Inouye (Sr., Aiea, Hawaii) Stroke Avg: 77.8 GNAC Rank: 12 Clippd Rank: 394
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: 2025 – 8th place, 153 (81-72) | 2024 – T10th, 158 (73-85) | 2023 – 2nd, 150 (76-74)
2. Payten Baca (Fr., Castle Rock, Colo.) Stroke Avg: 79.9 GNAC Rank: 19 Clippd Rank: 527
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: None.
3. Hailey Blancas (So., Montesano, Wash.) Stroke Avg: 83.6 GNAC Rank: 34 Clippd Rank: 816
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: 2025 – T24th place, 167 (85-82)
4. Jade Rebelo (Sr., Ewa Beach, Hawaii) Stroke Avg: 84.7 GNAC Rank: 37 Clippd Rank: 815
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: 2025 – 26th place, 169 (86-83) | 2024 – T17th, 169 (80-89)
5. Ashley Bruland (Sr., Sedro-Woolley, Wash.) Stroke Avg: 78.8 GNAC Rank: 14 Clippd Rank: 332
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: 2025 – T14th place, 158 (81-77) | 2024 – T17th, 169 (84-85) | 2023 – 1st, 145 (72-73)
 
Saint Martin’s features one of the most veteran lineups at this year’s championship event, with seniors Kelsie Inouye and Ashley Bruland set to play the CDA Resort track for the fourth time in their careers. Bruland won the GNAC Championships individual title as a freshman in 2023, while Inouye has finished in the top-10 all three years including a runner-up finish behind Bruland. Both stand out among the conference’s all-time top players, with Inouye ranking sixth in GNAC history at 76.54 strokes per round across 81 rounds and Bruland ranking 22nd at 78.47 strokes per round across 75 rounds. Senior Jade Rebelo is back for her third GNAC Championships tournament, while sophomore Hailey Blancas returns after competing as a freshman in 2025. SMU’s lineup will be completed by freshman Payten Baca, who will make her GNAC Championships debut.
 

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Northwest Nazarene University Nighthawks
Clippd National Ranking (as of April 17): #139
2025-26 Team Scoring Average: 335.9 (6th in GNAC)
GNAC Championships Team Titles: None
GNAC Individual Champions: None
2025 GNAC Championships Finish: 5th, 641 (332-309)
Head Coach: Fred Sutton (4th season)
 
2026 Lineup
1. Lynea Kelsey (Fr., Ewa Beach, Hawaii) Stroke Avg: 81.5 GNAC Rank: 25 Clippd Rank: 645
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: None.
2. Caroline Caven (So., Eagle, Idaho) Stroke Avg: 83.5 GNAC Rank: 33 Clippd Rank: 728
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: 2025 – 27th place, 170 (86-84)
3. Jana Knapp (Fr., Longview, Wash.) Stroke Avg: 85.1 GNAC Rank: 39 Clippd Rank: 812
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: None.
4. Avery Paul (Jr., Vancouver, Wash.) Stroke Avg: 86.5 GNAC Rank: 40 Clippd Rank: 867
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: None.
5. Brooklyn Ramirez (Jr., Twin Falls, Idaho) Stroke Avg: N/A GNAC Rank: N/A Clippd Rank: N/A
Previous GNAC Championships Experience: None.
 
The youthful Nighthawks have just one returning player from last year’s GNAC Championships lineup. Sophomore Caroline Caven will rely on her experience from the 2025 event to help guide a quartet of newcomers this week. Juniors Brooklyn Ramirez and Avery Paul and freshmen Jana Knapp and Lynea Kelsey will each get their first look at the championship course at the CDA Resort. Kelsey holds the Nighthawks’ best scoring average this year at 81.5 strokes per round.