Madison Maxwell

NCAA Championships Preview: Men's Golf Looking to Make a Splash Again

5/11/2026 4:05:00 PM | By: JCUSID

London Hoyser with Derek Smith

The Blue Streaks are back in the NCAA postseason for a second straight season

HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Fla. – The national stage is calling for John Carroll Men's Golf once again.

For a second straight season, the Blue Streaks are bound for the NCAA Division III Championships, this time after conquering a new conference by winning the 2026 North Coast Athletic Conference Championship.

The Blue Streaks are set for the 2026 NCAA Championships from Tuesday, May 12 through Friday, May 15 at Mission Resort & Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida. Tee times for Round 1 are from 8:20-9 am on the El Campeon Course. Tee times for Round 2 are from 12:20-1 pm on the Las Colinas course.

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"The Spring season was a challenging one. The weather has been pretty consistent for our tournaments; consistently poor. I am very proud of the team for persevering and finding their form over the past three weeks," said Head Coach Jeff Pawlowski '91. "Leading the conference in total tournament wins (six) this season speaks to the talent and depth of our team. We will be counting on our experience and momentum at Nationals."

The team and individual champions will be determined after 72 holes of play or the conclusion of the last fully completed round. First and second round competition will be played simultaneously on El Campeon and Las Colinas courses with the final two rounds played on El Campeon. After 36 holes of competition, the field will be cut to the top 18 teams and top six individuals not on one of those teams.

John Carroll is one of 43 teams invited to Florida, with 10 individuals also invited, totaling 225 golfers in all. In the final Bushnell/Golfweek DIII Coaches Poll of 2025-26, John Carroll checked in at #25, and in the most recent Clippd/Scoreboard rankings, JCU stands at #26.

The course offers some history, as JCU competed in the 2022 NCAA Championships at Mission Resort & Club. None of the current golfers were on the team back then, though Jeff Pawlowski was an assistant coach on that team.

Speaking of, the Pawlowski era is undoubtedly off to a fantastic start, as the second-year head coach has steered the Blue Streaks to a conference crown and NCAA appearance in both of his seasons. A year ago, John Carroll finished in 15th place with a final scoreline of 294-312-304-293-1203 at Midvale Country Club in New York.

Consistency has been the calling card for the Blue Streaks, best showcased at the NCAC Championships. John Carroll battled all of the elements with impressive grit, finishing with a line of 299-299-300-898 (+34). Considering all of the wild weather through the three rounds at Avalon Lakes, it was a fantastic feat.

The other key characteristic of the team is its balance. From one through five, the Blue Streaks are talented and composed, as any golfer can provide the top score on any given day. Each member of the starting five is a junior, so experience is not an issue for this team. Donahue, Hoyser, and Malley all competed last year at the national championships.

Wade Boyle provided the most juice during the NCAC Championships, winning medalist honors. The Greensburg, Pennsylvania native provided excellent consistency with a mark of 72-75-72-219 at the NCAC Championships. The victory marked his first medalist trophy of the season and it occurred at the perfect time. Boyle averages a score of 73.8, ranked #35 in the region, fresh off a First Team All-NCAC selection.

Daniel Donahue tallied 10th at the NCAC Championships, with rounds of 78-75-75 in Warren. The Pittsburgher did not win any tournaments this year, but has a trio of top-3 finishes this year. The junior enters the week with an average round of 73.9.

London Hoyser is coming off a solid showing at Avalon Lakes, with a final line of 78-75-79. The New Yorker sports a round average of 74.7.

Austin Malley has enjoyed a strong junior season, most recently finishing 20th at the NCAC Championships. The Venetia, Pennsylvania native won a tournament in the fall and has racked up other top-10 finishes this season. For the year, the Second Team All-NCAC selection has registered an average of 74.3.

Justy VonLehmden has killed it this year. The Findlay, Ohio native has roared down the stretch, standing as the medalist at the Caschera/DiCillo Classic and then firing up a strong effort at the NCAC Championships. The star accumulated a scoreline of 71-75-74-220, finishing one spot behind Boyle in second place. With a season average of 72.2, the First Team All-NCAC pick is ranked #69 in the nation entering the week.

This year's championships will be hosted by Oglethorpe University and Greater Orlando Sports Commission.

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