PALM DESERT, Calif. - The Illinois Wesleyan University women's golf team finished two shots outside of the cutline following round two of the NCAA Division III National Championship Wednesday, May 20, in a steamy Palm Desert, Calif. The Titans carded a round-two 22-over-par 310 to finish tied for 16th at the par-72, 5,867-yard Firecliff course at the Desert Willow Golf Resort.
Sophomore Gigi Zera (Glenview, Ill.-Loyola Academy) finished inside the top 50 following a round six-over 78. The sophomore finished tied for 44th in her second career national championship appearance with a 36-hole total of 151.
Junior Nora Cerroni (Waukesha, Wis.-Waukesha North) finished with the round of the day for the Green and White, carding a four-over-par 76. She was second-best on the Titans, finishing in 67th place with a 154 total.
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Junior Emily Gastrau (Wauwatosa, Wis.-Wauwatosa East) and sophomore Grace Fagan (Kirkwood, Mo.-Visitation Academy) were in lockstep, as each finished in a tie for 80th after two consecutive rounds of six-over 78.
Defending champion Emory University hopped into the lead at six-over par for the tournament. A three-way tie can be found at the top of the individual race, as Washington and Lee's Toral Bhatt, Trinity's Jessica Mason, and NYU's Jiayi Fu each are three-under through two rounds.
Illinois Wesleyan loses senior Brooke Erhard (Champaign, Ill.-St. Thomas More) headed into the 2026-27 season with the remainder of the Titans set to return. All five national championship competitors are set to be back next season.
IWU individual standings
- T44. Gigi Zera 73-78=151
- T67. Nora Cerroni 78-76=154
- T80. Emily Gastrau 78-78=156
- T80. Grace Fagan 78-78=156
- T154. Julia Henry 92-83=175
Team standings
- 1. Emory 293-289=582
- 2. Carnegie Mellon 291-295=586
- 3. NYU 296-291=587
- T4. Washington & Lee 292-296=588
- T4. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 297-291=588
- 6. Middlebury 298-292=590
- 7. WashU 304-290=594
- T8. Amherst 300-298=598
- T8. Pomona-Pitzer 303-295=598
- 10. Williams 306-295=601
- 11. Carleton 306-296=602
- 12. Dubuque 311-295=606
- 13. Sewanee 307-300=607
- 14. Randolph-Macon 300-311=611
- 15. Grinnell 317-298=615
- — cut line
- T16. Illinois Wesleyan 307-310=617
- T16. Redlands 304-313=617
- 18. George Fox 317-307=624
- 19. Denison 312-313=625
- 20. Mary Hardin-Baylor 312-316=626
- 21. UW-Stout 327-303=630
- 22. Piedmont 319-313=632
- 23. Saint Mary's 319-319=638
- 24. LeTourneau 323-319=642
- 25. Aurora 326-317=643
- 26. York 325-320=645
- 27. Marymount 322-324=646
- 28. Northwestern-St. Paul 334-321=655
- 29. Ohio Northern 322-337=659
- 30. Washington & Jefferson 344-331=675
- 31. Catholic 347-331=678
- 32. Transylvania 349-348=697
- 33. SUNY Cortland 365-342=707
- 34. Suffolk 372-350=722
