DANIELS, W.V.- The Red Wolves of Indiana University East were one of the youngest teams in the field at the 2026 River States Conference Men's Golf Championship, sending four freshman and a sophomore to go with senior Sam Firebaugh.
However, the Red Wolves looked like seasoned vets with a conference title on the line, winning the program's first conference title in 18 years at Glade Springs Resort Golf Course in Daniels, West Virginia on Tuesday. The win is the first hardware for the Red Wolves since 2008, when IU East won the conference tournament in what was then called the KIAC.
The Red Wolves found themselves in third place after the first round, as Rio Grande held a three-shot lead. Midway trailed the RedStorm by one shot, with the top five teams separated by just ten shots. Midway's Gage Gregory found himself at the top of the leaderboard in the individual medalist, spending the entire day under par after an eagle on the second hole.
For nearly every team in the field, scores rose on the second day of the tournament, which saw more challenging conditions. Despite the conditions, the Red Wolves jumped to the top of the leaderboard with the best score in the tournament. IU East's effort was capped off by a dramatic eagle on the 18th from Noah Mulford, who drilled a long play to finish the effort. The individual race was led by Jose Vidal of Oakland City, who shot a four-under 68 to tie Gregory for the lead.
The Red Wolves never surrendered the lead on the final day, leading from wire-to-wire over Midway, with the two teams firing identical eleven over par scores. IU Southeast's Westin Allen was the best player in the final round, but Vidal's one-over 73 was enough for the Mighty Oak to claim individual medalist honors.
The River States Conference Player of the Year, which encompasses efforts from both the Fall Preview and the spring Championship, was awarded to Midway's Gage Gregory, who followed up a seventh-place finish in the fall with a runner-up effort in the spring. IU East's Noah Mulford was the Newcomer of the Year placing in a tie for fourth place and earning First Team All-Conference honors. IU East coach Jeff Williams was honored as RSC Coach of the Year, an award named for former conference coach Thomas Harkleroad.
Indiana University East will be the River States Conference's representative in the 2026 NAIA Men's Golf National Championship, held this year at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois. The Red Wolves will be joined by individual medalist Jose Vidal of Oakland City. It will be IU East's first-ever trip as a team to the national tournament. The first round of the national championship tournament is scheduled for May 12, with action continuing through May 15 in the Quad Cities.
Award Winners:
Player of the Year: Gage Gregory, Midway
Coach of the Year: Jeff Williams, IU East
Newcomer of the Year: Noah Mulford, IU East
Champions of Character:
Jacob Blackburn, Brescia
Braden Tedder, IU East
Hayden Williamson, IU Kokomo
Westin Allen, IU Southeast
Ethan Taylor, KCU
Reece Reichart, Oakland City
Gage Gregory, Midway
Connor Ingels, Rio Grande
Nolan Mishler, SMWC
Tanner Stevenson, Shawnee State
Sean Cooper, WVU Tech