2026 Men's Golf NCAC Champions Team photo

Men's Golf 5/3/2026 8:28:00 PM JCUSID

NCAC CHAMPIONS: Men's Golf Conquers Conference in Debut Performance

Wade Boyle led the way as the medalist

Men's Golf 5/3/2026 8:28:00 PM JCUSID

NCAC CHAMPIONS: Men's Golf Conquers Conference in Debut Performance

Wade Boyle led the way as the medalist

WARREN, Ohio – Not bad for the new kids on the block.

From just about start to finish, John Carroll Men's Golf stood in first place at the 2026 North Coast Athletic Conference Championships.

A sterling debut performance in the NCAC clinched a beautiful conference trophy for the Blue Streaks. Wade Boyle captured the medalist trophy with a par performance on Sunday.

Round 3 proved to be the best weather-wise for the golfers at Avalon Lakes at Avalon Golf & Country Club. Wind cut through the golfers at times, but the sun provided consistent temperatures in the low-to-upper 50's, much better than the miserable cold, wet weather for the Friday and Saturday rounds.

Final Results

The story of the team proved to be consistency amidst differing climates. John Carroll finished with a final team line of 299-299-300-898. That's remarkable and unusual considering the weather and course conditions. Three Blue Streaks finished in the top 10 and all five contributed a score for one of the three rounds. A different player provided the low score each round.

Entering the day with a nine-stroke lead, John Carroll fended off fierce challenges from Wittenberg (314-294-294-902) and Kenyon (309-298-297-904). While Kenyon roared at the start and stood in first by a stroke or two early on in the front nine, JCU's consistency won out. The Blue Streaks stood strong as the victors by four strokes.

"The team showed a lot of grit over the past three days," said Head Coach Jeff Pawlowski '91. "Mother Nature and quality NCAC programs were a challenge. I am very proud of the team. Back-to-back conference championships is a tradition of our program dating back to the 1950's that we are thrilled to continue."

Wade Boyle fired up a strong start with a birdie on No. 2, taking a two-over-par into the back nine. The Greensburg, Pennsylvania native played mistake-free golf as he roared down the final stretch, spurred on by a birdie on No. 11, a 544-yard mammoth. A huge birdie on No. 16, a par 3, helped massively, too. Two par holes to finish at 72 (E) clinched his spot in history as JCU's first Bob Nye Award winner as the medalist.

Justy VonLehmden also nabbed an early birdie on No. 2. The Findlay native ran into a couple bogeys but headed into the back nine at one-over-par. Back-to-back birdies on No. 13 and 14 got him going down the stretch. A double dropped him behind Boyle, but a finishing par set him up with second place.

Daniel Donahue knocked in a birdie on No. 6 to highlight a solid front nine, heading into the final nine with a two-over-par. A birdie on No. 14 followed by three par holes helped him remain steady late. Four straight par holes to finish secured a tally of 75 (+3) secured 10th place for the junior.

London Hoyser bounced back from a couple early bogeys to fire up six par holes to wrap up the front nine. The Pittsford, New York native hit a birdie on No. 14, which was a very successful hole for JCU. The junior posted a score of 79 (+10), tying for 17th for the event.

Austin Malley experienced a roller coaster day with some downs but also a handful of highlights. Birdies on No. 7 and 14 helped him finish at 82 for the day. For the weekend, the veteran tied for 20th out of 40 golfers.

The team title clinches the NCAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship from May 12-15 in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida at Mission Report & Club.

"We knew the move to the NCAC would be challenging. Wittenberg and Kenyon are great programs and pushed us to the finish. We are honored to represent the NCAC as conference champions in Florida next week," said Pawlowski. "Coach Derek Smith was a valuable asset on the course this weekend, especially around the greens."

This is JCU's 21st conference tournament title in program history. JCU previously won PAC Championships in 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1987, 1988, and 1989; OAC Tournament Championships in 1990, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2022, and 2025; and OAC Regular Season Championships in 2009, 2010, and 2019.

NCAC Men's All-Tournament:
Bob Nye Award (medalist): Wade Boyle, John Carroll
Justy VonLehmden, John Carroll
Jonathan Oakes, Kenyon
Mark Sulek, Wittenberg
Andrew Wall, DePauw

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