EMU’s Final Four Run

    Eastern Michigan did what no other women’s college golf team from our state had done before – advance to the NCAA National semifinals. The Eagles got there by defeating Texas (ranked No. 5 nationally and the 4 seed), 3.5-1.5 in the quarterfinals the morning of May 26, before bowing out to the No. 1 ranked team in the country, Stanford, in the afternoon semifinals. Stanford went on to win the national title over USC, for its third championship in the last five years.

    With their play, the Eagles (ranked No. 27 coming in) finished the 2025-26 season tied for third nationally, light years away from the No. 219 ranking it held in January 2024. 

    “I am excited for our finish and our season,” EMU Head Coach Josh Brewer said after the second round of match play. “This tournament is exhausting. I'm okay with the fact we got beaten by a team that, on paper, is better than us, so I can live with that. It’s disappointing, but it's one of those things that 20 years from now, when you walk through the university and there's a picture of us up there holding a semifinal trophy in women's golf, you know it's pretty special.”

    Four rounds of stroke play determined the top 8 teams to go to match play. Going into the fourth round, EMU was outside looking in, but shot the best score (4-under par) of any team that day to go from 10th place to the No. 5 seed.

    EMU played amazingly during the NCAA run. Kent State won the MAC Championship for the 27th straight year, but the Eagles played perhaps their best golf at season’s end. In one example, EMU’s Janae Leovao, ranked No. 55 in the country, faced and defeated No. 1 Farah O'Keefe (Texas) and then played No. 2 Paula Martin Sampedro (Stanford) in consecutive matches, finishing just 1-down. The Eagles ran into one of the toughest teams in the nation as all five players in the Stanford lineup were ranked among the top 14 nationally this year, including three in the top 10.