Women’s Golf Leads NJCAA After Day One
May 12, 2026
TUSCALOOSA - The No. 1 ranked Shelton State Community College women's golf team shot a 320 (+32) to lead by one stroke after the first round of the 2026 NJCAA Women's National Championship Tournament at the Ol' Colony Golf Club on Tuesday.
No. 2 ranked Murray (Oklahoma) State is second with a 321 (+33), one shot off the lead.
No. 5 Jeff State (+37), No. 6 Southern Union (+49), Mesa College (+51), and Jacksonville (Texas) College (+51) round out the Top 5.
"It was not a bad start today," Shelton State head coach Chris Sanford said. "There were a lot of nerves early, but we settled in after a few holes. We played fairly solid for most of the day, but unfortunately, we didn't finish the round off very well. I would have liked to have been lower, but we certainly kept ourselves right there at the top.
"I thought they were a little higher across the board than I was expecting. The wind gusted today which may have been a factor. I also think the opening round nerves probably affected the players."
Shelton State freshman Emma Bark shot a four-over par 76 and is tied for third place after the first 18 holes. Bark birded the second hole and shot 37 on the front nine. She had seven par's on the back nine and finished with a 39.
"Emma had a solid score of 76," Sanford said. (She) bogeyed the last hole and double bogeyed No. 10. So, she played well most of the day. I look for her, and the team, as a whole, to improve tomorrow."
Sophomore Katie Hallmark, one of two returning players off last year's National Championship team, is tied for eighth with a six-over 78. She started the day with a birdie on hole one and finished with a 38 on the front nine. She tallied a 40 on the back nine.
Sophomore Sawyer Hobbs and freshman Riley Fritz are both tied for 19th place with an 11-over, 83. Hobbs, the other returning player from last year's National Championship team, shot 40 on the front nine and 43 on the back nine. Fritz had a birdie on hole No. 6 and finished with a 40 on the front nine. She also shot 43 on the back nine.
Freshman Katie Brannon shot an 85 on Tuesday and sits No. 25 in the individual standings.
Southern Union's Kylee Lynn was the only player under par on Tuesday and leads the field with a 2-under, 70 score. She had three pars and one eagle in her opening round. Lynn had two birdies on the front nine and finished with an even par 36. She had an eagle on the par 5 No. 14 hole and finished with a 2-under 34 on the back nine.
Shelton State (Bark and Hallmark) and Murray State (Amiya Raja and Paula Grorstiaga) are the only two schools with multiple players in the Top 10 scorers.
The second round of the four-day event will be held on Wednesday, May 13 at 8 a.m. The Lady Bucs will begin on hole No. 10 beginning at 9:30 a.m.
Team Leaders (After Day One)
Shelton State +32 (320)
Murray State +33 (321)
Jeff State +37 (325)
Southern Union +49 (337)
Mesa College +51 (339)
Jacksonville College +51 (339)
Gateway College +51 (339)
Wallace State +52 (340)
NW Mississippi +54 (342)
Des Moines Area CC +62 (350)
North Iowa +79 (369)
Roane State +86 (382)
Iowa Central +88 (384)
Carl Sandburg +92 (388)
Rend Lake +95 (391)
Individual Leaders (After Day One)
Kylee Lynn (Southern Union) -2 (70)
Amiya Raja (Murray Stare) +1 (73)
Emma Bark (Shelton State) +4 (76)
Paige Hill (Jacksonville) +4 (76)
Andi Kate Ramey (NE Mississippi) +5 (77)
Rebecca Pearce (Jeff State) +5 (77)
Abree Germaine (Mesa CC) +5 (77)
Katie Hallmark (Shelton State) +6 (78)
Bella McNeal (NW Mississippi) +6 (78)
Paula Grorstiaga (Murray State) +7 (79)
Mallory Brooks (Wallace State) +7 (79)