May 5, 2026

Marian Captures Program's Fifth Crossroads League Championship

COLUMBUS, Ind. - For the fifth time in program history, the Marian women's golf team has captured the Crossroads League Championship, as the Knights finished off their 2026 championship with a strong close in the third and final round. Marian captured the championship by 25 strokes, winning their first championship since 2024. Keara Eder won the individual medalist, giving the Knights their first individual champion since Sidney Parmer in 2024.

Marian opened play on Monday with a strong first round, battling varying wind conditions and light moments of rain, collecting a 307 total in the first 18 holes. The team's 307 opened a 10-shot lead over Grace College, while Indiana Wesleyan closed the first round in third with a 320.

The Knights persevered through the weather in the second round, getting better as the day progressed, firing a collective 297 in the second round. The scoring brought the team total to a 604, which gave the Knights an 18-shot advantage over the Wildcats, as Indiana Wesleyan fired a 302 in the round to end with a 622 total.

Behind Marian and Indiana Wesleyan, Grace sits in third place with a 636, while Bethel and Huntington are in fourth at 654.

Individually, Emma Weiler and Maria Kennard led Marian in the opening round, each firing a 76 to tie for second after 18 holes. Jordan Adam also joined the duo, tying for second with a 76, while Keara Eder finished the first round with a 79, holding ninth place. Hailey Kirkland's score in the first round was an 83, good for a top-15 spot.

In the second round, Eder had Marian's top individual score, ripping a 73 to end the day in third place with a 152 total. Emma Weiler and Maria Kennard finished the day with a 74, as each player matched a 150 to share the co-leader position. Kirkland's second-round score of 76 counted in Marian's team score in round two, as she ended the day tied for 12th with her 159 total. Jordan Adam finished the day tied for fifth overall, with her 77 score in the second round bringing her total to 153.

After firing a 604 in the first two rounds on Monday, Marian saved its best for last in the final round, as the team made 12 birdies on the day, while making par on 67 total holes. The team scored a 293 in the final round, dropping four strokes off the second round score to end the championship victory with an 897 total. The team championship is Marian's third in four seasons.

Marian's winning score of 897 bested Indiana Wesleyan by 25 strokes, as the team moved from an 18-shot lead to its total of 25 after the strong play on Tuesday. Grace would finish third, while Bethel finished fourth, and Taylor finished fifth. Huntington, Mount Vernon Nazarene, Spring Arbor, and the University of Saint Francis rounded out the field.

Individually, Keara Eder moved from third to first on Tuesday, taking the lead early in the round and never looking back. Eder made six birdies against three bogies in her final career round in the CL Championship, ending the day with a 68. Eder's final total ended at a 220 on the par-71 course, giving her the league medalist title. The Marian senior won the tournament by six strokes, the largest in the championship since Taylor University's Taylor French won by seven shots in the 2021 championship.

Eder's title is the third different individual champion for Marian in the last four seasons, as she joins former teammates MacKendzie Dresbaugh ('23) and Sidney Parmer ('24) as Marian medalists this decade.

Behind Eder, Emma Weiler finished tied for second, finishing the tournament with a 226 total. Weiler scored a 76 in the final round on Tuesday afternoon. Maria Kennard finished tied for fourth with teammate Jordan Adam, as both Knights scored a total of 228 over the three rounds. Kennard completed the tournament with a 78, with her score not accounting to the team total on Tuesday, while Adam shot a 75 in the final round. Hailey Kirkland ended the championship in ninth place to give the Knights five top-10 finishers, as Kirkland shot a tournament-best 74 in the final round. The junior finished with a total score of 233.

Marian's championship qualifies them to the NAIA National Championship with an automatic bid, where the Knights will look to once again bring home hardware after last season's third place national finish. The championship field for the 2026 NAIA National Championship will be announced on Friday, May 8, while tee times will be released on Monday, May 11. The NAIA Championship takes place May 19-22 in Ypsilanti, Michigan.