ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference has announced its 2025 Women's Golf Awards following the conclusion of the conference championships last week. After another dominant season of UMAC play, the University of Northwestern was recognized aplenty in the awards, sweeping the Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Coach of the Year awards, in addition to five All-Conference selections.

The full UMAC press release can be found here.

Highlighting Northwestern's inclusion in the awards was Morgan Eckman (Jordan, Minn./Jordan), who for the third time in her three-year career was named Player of the Year as well as First Team All-Conference. The junior currently boasts a season average of 77.8, which would break the program record if it holds through the spring. Speaking of program records, she also broke her own program record for low round with an even-par 72, and was part of the squad that broke the low team round record with a 303 (+15). Eckman won medalist honors in four events this year and was top five in seven, with her worst individual finish of the year being a tie for seventh in the Eagles' first event of the year.

Bri Brandt (Blaine, Minn./Legacy Christian Academy) was named the conference's Rookie of the Year after a phenomenal first season on campus. The freshman has put up first-year numbers only rivaled by Eckman and Paige Johnson (Zimmerman, Minn./Homeschool), with an average of 80.4 and six top-five finishes. Her low round of the year was 74 (part of the team low round record), which would have tied the program record had Eckman and Johnson not broken it already this season, and she finished in solo second at her first UMAC Championship. Much of her success could be attributed to the tutelage of Head Coach Billy Aune, who was named UMAC Coach of the Year for the seventh time on the women's side. He has also won the award four time for Men's Golf. Aune is the only coach in program history and has now led the team to six conference titles, four NCAA National Championship appearances and one NCCAA National Championship appearance after an historic season. His Eagles not only broke the program record for low team round, but also the UMAC Championship record for low team score.

After another phenomenal fall season capped off by her first UMAC Championship medalist crown, Paige Johnson (Zimmerman, Minn./Homeschool) rightfully earned First Team All-Conference honors for the third time in three years. The junior not only tied Eckman's program record for low round (72, E), but also set the UMAC Championship record for low individual tournament score (239, +23). Johnson won three tournaments and finished top-five four times, in addition to leading the UMAC and program-record-breaking team performances. Joioning Brandt on the All-Conference Second Team were Brielle Lenz (Marshfield, Wis./Marshfield) and Ellie Rolland (Otsego, Minn./Rogers). Lenz, who was also the team's representative on the All-Sportsmanship Team, had a strong freshman year with an 85.2 scoring average, one top-five finish and four top-10 finishes, including an eighth-place finish at the UMAC Championship. Rolland played well in seven rounds in her sophomore campaign, averaging 85.7 with a career-low 78 at the Ives Grove Firebird Classic. She finished top-five one time and top-10 four times. It is the second time in her two-year career that Rolland has been named Second Team All-Conference, as she was also the conference's Rookie of the Year in 2024.

The Eagles' season is far from over, as they will be competing in the NCCAA National Championship next week in Palm Coast, Florida to conclude the fall season, before ramping back up in the spring in preparation for the NCAA Division III National Championship in Palm Desert, California.

2025 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Women's Golf Awards

Player of the Year: Morgan Eckman (Jordan, Minn./Jordan), Northwestern
Rookie of the Year: Bri Brandt (Blaine, Minn./Legacy Christian Academy), Northwestern
Coach of the Year: Billy Aune, Northwestern
Team Sportsmanship Award: Martin Luther College
 
First-Team All-Conference

Morgan Eckman (Jordan, Minn./Jordan)	Northwestern	Jr.	Jordan, Minn./Jordan
Paige Johnson (Zimmerman, Minn./Homeschool)	Northwestern	Jr.	Zimmerman, Minn./Homeschool
Kendall Clark	Crown	Sr.	Vail, Ariz./Empire
Olivia Weyenberg	UW-Superior	Jr.	Stacy, Minn./North Branch
Abby Schintz	UW-Superior	So.	Duluth, Minn./Duluth East

 
Second-Team All-Conference

Bri Brandt (Blaine, Minn./Legacy Christian Academy)	Northwestern	Fr.	Blaine, Minn./Legacy Christian Academy
Shelby Cash	Crown	Jr.	Clovis, Calif./Clovis
Brielle Lenz (Marshfield, Wis./Marshfield)	Northwestern	Fr.	Marshfield, Wis./Marshfield
Ellie Roland	Northwestern	So.	Otsego, Minn./Rogers
Lydia Schmid	Bethany Lutheran	So.	Mankato, Minn./Immanuel Lutheran

 
Honorable Mention All-Conference

Lexi Thomas	Crown	Sr.	Eagle River, Wis./Northland Pines
Makayla Ammerman	UW-Superior	Fr.	Hinckley, Minn./Hinkley-Finlayson
Ashton Parnell	UW-Superior	Sr.	Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti
Sophia Otto	UW-Superior	So.	Mequon, Wis./Homestead
Brooklyn Barton	North Central	Fr.	Roseville, Calif./West Park

 
All-Sportsmanship Team

Bethany Lutheran	Lydia Schmid	So.	Mankato, Minn./Immanuel Lutheran
Crown	Allie Johnson	Sr.	Madelia, Minn./Lake Crystal
Martin Luther	Erin Pulice	So.	Green Lake, Wis./Green Lake
Minnesota Morris	Sonja Habedank	Sr.	Park Rapids, Minn./Nevis
North Central	Claire Nelsen	Fr.	Elkton, Minn./Southland
Northwestern	Brielle Lenz (Marshfield, Wis./Marshfield)	Fr.	Marshfield, Wis./Marshfield
UW-Superior	Ashton Parnell	Sr.	Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti