In only its fourth season as a varsity team, the Columbia women’s golf team won the Ivy League championship. Battling with Princeton and Yale, which combined to capture each of the previous nine Ivy League titles, Columbia pulled off the unlikely. The Lions defeated second-place Princeton by 10 strokes for the crown, while Sara Ovadia won the individual title by four strokes and teammate Stevy Loy was runner-up.
Columbia posted a three-day winning total of 933 (308-307-318). The Lions earned three of the top five spots, which included Ovadia and Loy’s one-two finish, as well as Carly Nathanson finishing fifth. By virtue of their top finishes, Ovadia, Loy and Nathanson all earned First Team All-Ivy League distinction.
The Lions laid the groundwork on the first day and took a nine-shot lead into the final 18 holes. On a challenging final day, Columbia once again proved better than the rest, increasing its first-day lead and taking the title by 10 shots.
Ovadia became the first Lion to win the individual Ivy Golf Championship with her 10-over-par, three-round total of 226. The team title was head coach Rich Mueller’s first as Columbia women’s coach.
Three weeks later on May 10-12, Columbia made its first-ever NCAA Championship appearance, competing in the NCAA West Regional in Utah.
