ST. PAUL, Minn. - Another banner year for the University of Northwestern Women's Golf team has resulted in a bevy of Upper Midwest Athletic Conference awards, which were announced Wednesday afternoon. For the fifth-consecutive season, Northwestern produced both the UMAC Player of the Year and Coach of the Year. Additionally, all five tournament participants were named to either the All-Conference First or Second Team, with three landing on the First Team and two on the Second Team.

Click here to see the full UMAC announcement.

Fresh off her medalist performance at the UMAC Championship, Bri Brandt (Blaine, Minn./Legacy Christian Academy) was named UMAC Player of the Year for the first time in her career, in addition to First Team All-Conference and All-Sportsmanship Team honors. The sophomore ended her fall season with a 77.5 scoring average, which would currently go down as the second-best in program history, two wins (UMAC Championship and UMAC Preview), five top-5 finishes and seven top-10 results. Her low round of the year, a two-over 74 (tied for eighth all-time), resulted in her medalist performance at September's UMAC Preview, and 12 of her 13 rounds were in the 70's. Brandt was joined in the individual awards by her coach, Billy Aune, who claimed his eighth UMAC Women's Golf Coach of the Year award (and his sixth-consecutive) after being named the Men's Golf Coach of the Year this morning for the fifth time. His leadership led UNW to five wins in seven events this season, and the program's fourth-consecutive NCAA Division III National Tournament appearance.

Joining Brandt on the All-Conference First Team was Paige Johnson (Zimmerman, Minn./Homeschool), who earned the nod for the fourth time in her career. The senior had another strong fall to cap off her UMAC career, averaging 79.2 strokes per round (fifth all-time) and finishing top-5 five times, and top-10 six times, including a bronze medal at the UMAC Championship and a silver at the UNW Invite. Her low round of the year came in the final round of the Twin Ports Collegiate, when she carded a 73 (+2), the fourth-best mark in program history. Morgan Philyaw (Jordan, Minn./Jordan) was also named to the First Team for the fourth-consecutive season after another record-breaking fall. Her current scoring average as of this posting (76.5) would break her own program record if it holds through the spring, and she finished in the top five of all seven events on Northwestern's schedule, winning twice (UNW Invite, Sword and Shield Invitational). Her low round of the year, an even-par 72 at the Midwest Region Classic, tied the program record she and Johnson already shared.

A pair of Eagles found themselves on the All-Conference Second Team as well. Brielle Lenz (Marshfield, Wis./Marshfield) is a repeat recipient after showing great improvement in her sophomore campaign, ending the fall with a scoring average of 81.7, which would currently put her 10th in the record book. Lenz tied her career low of 78 twice this season (UNW Invite, Twin Ports Collegiate), with her best finish being a silver medal at the Sword and Shield Invitational. She recorded three top-5 finishes and five top-10's, and finished sixth at the UMAC Championship. Ellie Rolland (Otsego, Minn./Rogers) makes her third-consecutive appearance on the All-Conference Second Team after her best season yet, with an 85.8 average. The 2024 UMAC Rookie of the Year tallied four top-10 finishes and tied her career low of 79 twice (UNW Invite, UMAC Championship), finishing seventh at the UMAC Championship.

2026 UMAC Women's Golf Awards
Player of the Year: Bri Brandt (Blaine, Minn./Legacy Christian Academy), Northwestern
Rookie of the Year: Eva Stuewe, Bethany Lutheran
Coach of the Year: Billy Aune, Northwestern
Team Sportsmanship: Martin Luther

First Team
Eva Stuewe, Bethany Lutheran
Bri Brandt (Blaine, Minn./Legacy Christian Academy), Northwestern
Paige Johnson (Zimmerman, Minn./Homeschool), Northwestern
Morgan Philyaw (Jordan, Minn./Jordan), Northwestern
Abby Schintz, UW-Superior

Second Team
Shelby Cash, Crown
Brielle Lenz (Marshfield, Wis./Marshfield), Northwestern
Ellie Rolland (Otsego, Minn./Rogers), Northwestern
Makayla Ammerman, UW-Superior
Olivia Weyenberg, UW-Superior

Honorable Mention
Lydia Schmid, Bethany Lutheran
Autumn Hill, Crown
Erin Pulice, Martin Luther
Allie Maschke, UW-Superior
Sophia Otto, UW-Superior

All-Sportsmanship
Bethany Lutheran: Kiara Murphy
Crown: Autumn Hill
Martin Luther: Erin Pulice
Minnesota Morris: Kaylie Schmidtz
Northwestern: Bri Brandt (Blaine, Minn./Legacy Christian Academy)
UW-Superior: Allie Maschke