Posted: Apr 24, 2026
No.12 SMCC Women's Golf Finishes Second at Region I Division II Championship
PHOENIX ---
The No. 12 South Mountain Community College women's golf team placed second at the 2026 NJCAA Region I Division II Championship with a final team score of +241 (1,377) over April 20-23 at Ocotillo Golf Course in Chandler, Ariz. Freshman Lexi Tuinstra led the Cougars with a second-place finish at +40 (324), five strokes off Mesa's Abree Germaine for individual medalist honors. Freshmen Molly McDonald (sixth, +68, 352), Elaina Hales (seventh, +70, 354), Madilyn Hongell-Jimenez (eighth, +71, 355), and Jaycee Garcia (ninth, +76, 360) also recorded top-10 finishes for SMCC.
Tuinstra posted scores of 76, 80, 89, and 79 over the four rounds to finish as runner-up. She held a five-stroke lead after the first day, recording birdies on No. 10 and No. 13 and 10 pars. On day two, she recorded a birdie on the par-four No. 3 and added nine pars. Tuinstra posted seven pars in her third round and added 10 more in her final round en route to a total score of +40 (324).
McDonald carded rounds of 86, 87, 89, and 90 to finish sixth. She recorded seven pars in her first round and six more on her second day. In the third round, McDonald had eight pars, and she closed with two pars and a birdie on the par-three No. 16 in her final round to finish +68 (352).
Hales finished with scores of 83, 91, 91, and 89 over the four days to edge her teammate Hongell-Jimenez by one stroke for seventh. She birdied the first hole on the first day, adding a second birdie on the par-three No. 12 and five pars. Hales had five pars in round two and added seven more in her third round. Finally, she birdied the par-four No. 9 and posted three pars in her fourth round to finish at +70 (354).
Hongell-Jimenez recorded rounds of 88, 86, 90, and 91 over the four days to place eighth. She birdied the par-three No. 7 and added four pars on the first day of play, and posted a birdie on the par-four No. 9 and four pars in her second round. The third round saw her record four pars, and she closed with three more in her final round to place eighth at +71 (355).
Garcia posted scores of 94, 92, 85, and 89 over the four days on the par-71 course. She opened with two pars in her first round and added four more in her second round. On day three, Garcia carded a birdie on the par-four No. 10 and registered seven pars to post her best single-day score. On the final day, Garcia had five pars to help her record a ninth-place finish at +76 (360).
SMCC trailed Mesa CC by six strokes after day one and remained within seven after 36 holes of play. Round three put some separation between the two squads, with the Thunderbirds finishing at +52 while SMCC was +69. MCC added seven more strokes to its advantage on day four with a final score of +56 compared to +63 for the Cougars.
