ELLICOTT CITY, Md. – Howard University women's golf made program history Sunday, capturing its first-ever conference championship at the 2026 NEC Women's Golf Championships at Turf Valley Resort.
The Bison finished ahead of 10x NEC victors FDU by two with a three-round total of 917 (306-310-301), securing the title in a landmark moment for the program.
Leading the way was sophomore
Marley Franklin, who earned her first collegiate victory with a three-round score of 220 (+7).
Franklin delivered a steady performance across all three rounds, opening with an even-par 71 before following with rounds of 72 and 77. Her consistency atop the leaderboard paced Howard throughout the tournament and secured the individual title.
Howard's championship run was fueled by strong contributions across the lineup.
Freshman
Mia Melendez turned in one of the best rounds of the tournament on the final day, firing a 1-under 70 to finish third overall at 228 (+15). Her closing round proved critical in helping the Bison surge into a share of first place.
Junior standout
Paris Fieldings added a top-10 finish, tying for 10th with a 234 (+21). Fieldings posted consistent rounds of 76, 80, and 78 to give Howard stability in the middle of the lineup.
Sophomore
Lena Durette rounded out the scoring group with a 12th-place finish at 237 (+24), improving each round with scores of 83, 78, and 76.
Placing in the top 18 of the tournament earned the quartet All-Tournament honors.
Sophomore
Laniah Moffett also contributed to the Bison effort, competing in the championship field.
The title marks the first conference championship in program history for Howard women's golf and caps a dominant performance against a competitive field.
Howard's final-round 301 was the lowest team score of the tournament and proved to be the difference in securing the championship.
Howard awaits postseason play as the Bison look to carry their momentum beyond the conference championship stage.
For more information, visit the official Howard Athletics website
www.hubison.com.
