BRUNSWICK, Ga. — The College of Coastal Georgia women's golf team is headed back to the NAIA National Championship for the second consecutive year, earning a return trip to Eagle Crest Golf Club in Ypsilanti, Michigan, for the 31st Annual NAIA Women's Golf National Championship, May 19-22. Ranked No. 14 nationally, the Mariners arrive carrying a deeper, more experienced roster than the team that competed at this same venue a year ago — and with the lessons of that trip fresh in mind.
BUILDING ON LAST YEAR
Last season, Coastal Georgia made its first national championship appearance since 2021, competing as an at-large selection. As a team, the Mariners missed the 36-hole cut by 11 strokes with a score of 635. The silver lining was clear: Carlin Paulk wrapped up the tournament with a tie for 23rd place, the best finish by a Mariner individual at the national tournament since 2016. This year, the program returns to Ypsilanti with a higher national ranking and more rounds of high-level competition under its belt.
THE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Senior Madelyn Taylor of Evans, Georgia, is the veteran anchor of the lineup. Taylor earned an individual qualifier berth to the national championship as a freshman two years ago, finishing as the Sun Conference's third-place individual that spring. Now a senior, she brings the most championship experience on the roster and has been one of the program's most consistent scorers throughout her career.
Sophomore Carlin Paulk of Baxley, Georgia, is the team's rising star. Having delivered the program's best individual national tournament showing since 2016 as a freshman last spring, Paulk enters her sophomore year with added confidence and a game that has shown flashes of national title contention. She is the Mariners' most likely candidate to make a run at the individual leaderboard in Ypsilanti.
Head coach Nicole Johns also has depth behind her top two in Laura Kate Kessler, Morgan Herring, and Claire Wickes — all experienced contributors who have played significant roles in the program's postseason journey.
A COMPETITIVE SPRING SCHEDULE
The Mariners have logged quality outings in 2025-26, including a second-place finish at the Rams Spring Invite in Mobile and a third-place showing at the Jupiter Collegiate Invitational in the fall. Coastal finished fourth at the Blue Mountain Invitational in March and fifth at the Sun Conference Championship, competing in a field that included several nationally ranked programs.
THE FIELD AND WHAT TO EXPECT
Last season, British Columbia took home the Red Banner, and the Thunderbirds are back in the 2026 field as an automatic qualifier from the Cascade Collegiate Conference. UBC and Keiser (Fla.) have combined to win the last six NAIA Women's Golf National Championships — UBC four and Keiser two — with Keiser entering as an at-large selection out of The Sun Conference. The 30-team field will play four rounds of stroke play at Eagle Crest, with a cut after 36 holes reducing the field to the top 15 teams and the top individual not on an advancing team.
Making the cut is the primary goal for Coastal Georgia — something that narrowly escaped them a year ago. With Taylor, Paulk and a more seasoned supporting cast, the Mariners are better positioned to survive the cut and compete deep into championship week.
The 31st Annual NAIA Women's Golf National Championship begins Tuesday, May 19, at Eagle Crest Golf Club in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Live scoring is available through the Clippd Scoreboard and the NAIA Network
