ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy junior Emma Tang was named the Patriot League Women's Golfer of the Year for the second-straight season and was one of five Midshipmen to earn 2026 All-Patriot League selections, the league office announced Wednesday.
 
Tang, fellow junior Keira Howard and sophomore Vivian Cressman all garnered a spot on the All-Patriot League First Team, while sophomore Megan Kirkpatrick and freshman Angelina Kim both nabbed second-team all-league distinction.
 
Tang leads the Mids with a 75.93 scoring average on the season over 28 rounds, tallying two rounds at or below par for the campaign. Playing in 10 events, Tang has registered four top-5 finishes and was the top Navy finisher at six different events. Highlighting the season, the junior won the individual medal at the Lehigh Invitational before repeating as the individual champion at the Patriot League Championship. Tang becomes the third athlete in Patriot League history to win back-to-back Women's Golfer of the Year accolades, joining Adela Cejnarova (2015-17) and Christy Chen (2023-24). It also marks Tang's third-straight appearance on the all-league first team.
 
Howard sits third on Navy with a 77.96 scoring average across 25 rounds, competing in nine events and recording one round at or below par. Tying for the Mids' top finisher at the Magnolia Collegiate being second on the team at the El Campeon Collegiate, Howard posted her first top-10 finish of the season when she placed seventh at the Patriot League Championship. This is Howard's second-straight season earning all-league honors after garnering second-team distinction last year.
 
Cressman holds the second-best scoring average on the team at 77.76, golfing in nine events and posting two rounds at or below par. Being the Mids' top finisher by placing 11th at the Nittany Lion Invitational, Cressman also garnered two top-10 placements, taking ninth at the Lehigh Invitational and then tying for the runner-up spot at the Patriot League Championship.
 
Kirkpatrick collected a scoring average of 78.50 for the season, tallying 16 rounds over six events. Shooting a 71 in the first round of the Kingsmill Intercollegiate, Kirkpatrick just missed out on top-10 placings twice this spring, taking 12th at both Kingsmill and the Patriot League Championship. Kirkpatrick earns all-league honors for the second-straight season, taking home a first-team selection last April.
 
Kim was the Mids' top freshman this season with a 78.26 scoring average, playing 19 rounds across seven events before missing the final three competitions due to injury. The rookie took home two top-10 placements, being the top Navy scorer with an eighth-place finish at the Navy Fall Invitational and then closing in eighth place at the Kingsmill Intercollegiate.
 
Bucknell was named the Patriot League Coaching Staff of the Year, led by head coach Laura Tyler-Cook, while the Bison's Joelle Johnson nabbed the league's Rookie of the Year.
 
Navy will find out its NCAA Regional location on April 29, as the NCAA Selection Show airs at 4:00 p.m. on the Golf Channel.
 
2026 Patriot League Women's Golf Major Awards
2026 Patriot League Player of the Year – Emma Tang, Navy,
2026 Patriot League of the Year – Joelle Johnson, Bucknell
2026 Patriot League Coaching Staff of the Year – Bucknell (Head Coach: Laura Tyler-Cook)
 
2026 All-Patriot League First Team
Amy Han, Boston University
Sophia Bardunias, Bucknell
Reese Hannon, Lehigh
Vivian Cressman, Navy
Keira Howard, Navy
Emma Tang, Navy
 
2026 All-Patriot League Second Team
Joelle Johnson, Bucknell
Paige Richter, Bucknell
Nicole Yun, Bucknell
Yuki Zhu, Lehigh
Angelina Kim, Navy
Megan Kirkpatrick, Navy