Eagles Capture 11th Straight District Championship, Headed Back to Nationals

SIOUX CITY, IA- The Kirkwood Eagles once again proved why they are one of the premier programs in NJCAA Division II men's golf, capturing the 2026 NJCAA II North Central District Championship at Whispering Creek Golf Club in Sioux City, Iowa.

Competing over three rounds from May 3-5, the Eagles battled through windy conditions and a tightly packed leaderboard to finish at +26 as a team, narrowly edging Northeast CC (NE) by a single stroke to secure the district crown and punch their ticket to the NJCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship at Swan Lake Resort in Plymouth, Indiana.

The title marks Kirkwood's 11th consecutive North Central District Championship.

Leading the charge was sophomore Ted Sargeant, who delivered a masterful tournament performance to claim medalist honors at 6-under-par, becoming the first Kirkwood golfer to win the district individual title since James Morgan in 2021.

Sargeant was remarkably steady throughout the 54-hole event, opening with a 69 before following with rounds of 70 and 71. He finished as the only golfer in the field under par for the tournament.

His first round immediately set the tone. Sargeant carded birdies on holes 4, 6, 8, and 18 to post a 3-under 69 and grab the early lead. In round two, he stayed aggressive on the front nine with birdies on holes 1, 4, and 5 before adding another on hole 15 to maintain control atop the leaderboard.

Even with the pressure of a championship round Tuesday, Sargeant never wavered. He birdied holes 4, 5, and 9 on the front side and steadied himself with pars across much of the back nine to close out the individual championship.

Ryan Lynch also delivered a huge performance for the Eagles, finishing tied for second overall at +5. Lynch improved each day, bouncing back from an opening-round 76 with rounds of 74 and 71 over the final two days.

His final round was one of the best scores in the tournament. Lynch caught fire early with birdies on holes 1, 4, 7, and 9 to shoot 32 on the front nine. He added another birdie on 18 to cap a 1-under 71 and surge into a tie for second place individually.

Isaiah Zoske added another top-10 finish for Kirkwood, tying for eighth overall at +9. Zoske opened the tournament with a solid 73 and showed resilience throughout the week. His second round included birdies on holes 4 and 5 before a strong back-nine stretch featuring birdies on 13, 14, and 15 helped him stay in contention.

In the final round, Zoske once again produced several key moments, including birdies on holes 11, 16, and 17 to help Kirkwood maintain its slim lead over Northeast down the stretch.

Dean Roberts and Reid Hall also played critical roles in the championship effort. Roberts finished tied for 20th at +19 and provided stability across all three rounds, while Hall tied for 22nd at +20 and contributed several important counting scores during the tournament.

Next Up
Kirkwood will travel to Plymouth, Indiana for the NJCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship at Swan Lake Resort, where the Eagles will compete against the top teams in the nation for a national title.