LOCK HAVEN, Pa.- The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) released its women's golf major award winners and All-Conference selections on Thursday afternoon, and West Chester was well represented as the Golden Rams swept the Major Awards and landed four student-athletes on the All-PSAC squads.
Head coach
Chris Merce was named PSAC Women's Golf Coach of the Year, while
Hanna Lignell (Gothenburg, Sweden/Kitas Gymnasium) was named Athlete of the Year and First Team All-Conference, along with
Cara Murphy (Massillon, Ohio/Jackson), who earned Freshman of the Year and Second Team All-League honors. Lignell was joined on the First Team by
Fatima Rizvi (Lucknow, India/RPS Academies), while
Taryn Brandt (Denton, Md./North Caroline) joined fellow freshman Murphy on the Second Team All-League squad.
Lignell is West Chester's first Athlete of the Year since Meghan O'Mara was recognized in 2019-20, while Merce is the Golden Rams first women's golf Coach of the Year since Doug Hendricks was honored in 2009-10. Murphy is the first Golden Ram to earn PSAC Women's Golf Freshman of the Year honors.
Merce was at the helm of both the men's and women's golf teams during a historic 2025-26 season as the Golden Rams women's team finished in the top three in eight of 11 Tournaments this season, including a second-place finish at the PSAC Women's Golf Championships in April, along with six victories. This effort helped West Chester qualify for its 11
th and final Tournament of the year in the NCAA East Regional Championships at Findlay Country Club in Ohio, as the Golden Rams returned to the Regional Championships for just the second time in program history and the first time as an At-Large selection. West Chester battled through difficult conditions, including heavy rain in Ohio, and finished a program-record ninth (974), the highest of any team in what is traditionally considered to be the Atlantic Region in most other sports (PSAC/Mountain East Conference), and finished eight spots ahead of PSAC Champion Gannon, who was forced to settle for a 17
th-place team finish.
Lignell had an outstanding first season as a Golden Ram after transferring into West Chester from Limestone. In 2025-26, Lignell played in 22 rounds over the course of 10 Tournaments for West Chester and registered a 76.3 adjusted scoring average with five top-three finishes and a Tournament Title at the King University Invitational in late September to her name. At the PSAC Championships, Lignell finished in a tie for fourth with a 54-hole score of +18, including a final round of 78 (+6) as one of two Golden Rams in the top five, as the entire team finished in the top 10. At the Regional Championships in Ohio, Lignell helped lead West Chester once again as she placed 12
th with a 54-hole score of +17, including a final round of 79 (+7) to help the Golden Rams record their top Regional finish in program history.
Murphy enjoyed a historic rookie season as she played in 25 rounds over the course of 11 Tournaments and recorded three top-three finishes, including a pair of victories, while posting a 79.6 adjusted scoring average in her first season as a Golden Ram. Murphy started her career with back-to-back victories at the WCU Battlefield Classic in Gettysburg and Millersville Fall Classic at Berkleigh Country Club in early September before placing fifth at the King University Invitational for her third top-five finish in as many starts. The rookie finished her first season as a Golden Ram at the PSAC and NCAA East Regional Championships, finishing seventh at the PSAC Championship with an overall score of +23, including a final round of +10 (82) before taking 73
rd at the Regional Championships with a 54-hole score of +38, including a 14-over 86 in her final round of the 2026 season in heavy rain on the final day of the Regional Championships.
Rizvi joined Lignell on the First Team All-PSAC squad as she finished her first season as a Golden Ram with a 79.3 adjusted scoring average, with a top finish of second at the Battle at Bulle Rock to finish the fall season before recording back-to-back fourth-place finishes at Dr. Edwin B. Cottrell Invitational in West Chester in early April and the PSAC Championships at Berkleigh in late April. At the PSAC Championships, Rizvi matched Lignell for fourth on the individual leaderboard with a 54-hole score of +18, including a final round of 76 (+4). Rizvi wrapped up her first season as a Golden Ram with a 49
th-place finish at the NCAA East Regional Championships with a 54-hole score of +29, including a final round of 87 (+15).
The fourth and final Golden Ram to earn All-League honors on Thursday afternoon was Brandt, who, like Murphy, completed an excellent rookie season and earned her spot on the Second Team All-PSAC squad. Brandt played in 25 rounds over the course of 11 Tournaments and carded an 80.8 adjusted scoring average with a top finish of third at the WCU Battlefield Classic in her collegiate debut before also recording fourth-place finishes at the Millersville Fall Classic and Battle at Bulle Rock later in the fall season. The rookie wrapped up her inaugural campaign with an eighth-place finish at the PSAC Championships with a score of +24, including a final round of 82 (+10) before finishing in a tie for 56
th at the NCAA East Regional Championships with a 54-hole score of +31, including another final round of 82 (+10), which was the second best final round on the team, trailing only Lignell and her 79.
