Women's Golf | September 10

DeKALB, Ill.—The Northern Illinois University women's golf team will open the 2026-27 season this weekend as they compete at the Redbird Invitational, September 13-14, in Normal, Illinois. Action will take place at the Weibring Golf Course.
 
Live scoring will be provided via Clippd, powered by Scoreboard. The 54-hole, two-day tournament starts at 8:30 a.m. CT on both days with a shotgun start. Thirteen schools aer set to participate over the weekend.
 
Head coach Kim Kester, who recently signed a contract extension, returns three athletes from last year's squad.  
 
A Look at the Huskies
 
Eva Nijenhuis (Heiloo, Netherlands/OSG Willem Blaeu) is the lone senior on this year's squad. She saw action in six tournaments last season, with her best finish coming at the GCU Invitational.
 
Dakota Tallent (Las Vegas, NV/Bishop Gorman) competed in 11 tournaments last season, averaging 76.21 strokes per round. Her season-low was 71 and finished in a tie for sixth at the White Sands Bahamas Invitational.
 
Emile Chile (Flower Mound, TX/Flower Mound) also saw action in 11 tournaments during her debut season, recording an average of 77.61 strokes per round. Her season low round was a 73 with her best finish coming at the GCU Invitational.
 
Coach Kester welcomes Nethra Sheri (Irving, TX/Coppell) as a true freshman and Thanaporn "Benzy" Buakong (Nonthaburi, Thailand/Yothinburana School) and Christine Huse (Bærum, Norway/ Norwegian Top Athlete School) as transfer athletes.
 
Upcoming This Fall
 
NIU will have two more competitions in the fall after they open the season at Illinois State. NIU will make an appearance at the Mary Fossum Invitational in Okemos, Michigan, September 20-21.
 
The Huskies cross the Mississippi River for the Diane Thomason Invitational, hosted by the University of Iowa to close out the month of September.
 
The team wraps up the fall season with their third appearance at the Jim West Challenge, hosted by Texas State, October 18-19.
 
Follow the NIU Women's Golf team all season long on Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram.