2026 Spring Preview | Men's Golf
The ICCAC was hypercompetitive last season, with Indian Hills finishing runner-up in the Division I Central District Tournament and Kirkwood narrowly beating Northeast to claim its 10th straight district title in Division II. Teams in both divisions are gearing up for a great 2026 season that will undoubtedly bring excitement on the course.
Indian Hills and Iowa Western both made the national tourament last season in Division I. The Warriors fell short of defending their title in the district tournament but placed third at the national championship. They enter this season ranked No. 1 nationally, led by No. 4-ranked Charlie Preston. Iowa Western is ranked in the top 15 in the nation once again, aiming for a sixth straight national championship appearance. The Reivers are led by newcomer William Welsg, who averaged 71.1 in the fall season.
In Division II, the district title came down to the wire in 2025. Kirkwood fought back on the final day, crawling back from a deficit to beat Northeast by three strokes to claim its 10th straight district championship.
Naturally, Kirkwood has emerged as the preseason favorite, ranked third in the NJCAA after a great fall season. Standout Reid Hall leads the Eagles heading into the season after finishing runner-up at the national championship last season. The Eagles have won each of the last 10 national qualifiers Region 11 has been involved in.
Northeast is right behind the Eagles and is ranked fourth in the NJCAA heading into 2026. The Hawks were a tough opponent in 2025 and are composed of newcomers and returners who will once again keep the team competing for titles.
DMACC and Southwestern take the third and fourth spots in the preseason coaches' poll. The Bears have qualified for the national tournament three of the last five seasons and will look to get back there in 2026 with a top-10-ranked team. Southwestern will be pushing for a national tournament spot, returning individual qualifier and All-American Freddie Muggeridge.
Iowa Central and NIACC take the top spots just outside the top four. The Tritons are fifth in the preseason rankings, had a fantastic fall season and are ranked in the top 15 in the NJCAA, and will likely be a serious contender at districts. NIACC is right outside the top five in the preseason coaches' poll but is looking to square up in a district where any one of the top five teams could qualify for the national tournament.
Hawkeye and Iowa Lakes both leaned on experience last season, but in 2026 will be looking toward a group largely composed of newcomers. Each has a solid group of golfers in a conference loaded with title contenders.
Southeastern and Central round out the 10 ICCAC teams competing this season. Southeastern will look to improve and compete, and newcomer Central will look to build for the future as it joins Region 11, having played all these same teams in the district championship before.
Two top-15 programs in Division I and multiple title contenders in Division II shape the 2026 season as another one for the history books, as multiple programs could compete for district and national titles.
Division I:
Division II: