Tennessee Duo Earn All-America Honors as Lady Vols Complete Historic Women’s Golf Season

Freshman Madison Messimer and Sophomore Kyra Van Kan Become First Tennessee All-Americans Since 2016, Highlighting Program’s National Resurgence

FRISCO, Texas | Tennessee women's golf reached another milestone in one of the most successful seasons in program history Tuesday, as Madison Messimer and Kyra Van Kan were named Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) Honorable Mention All-Americans.

The recognition places the pair among the elite players in collegiate golf and marks the first time since 2016 that Tennessee has produced All-American honorees. Messimer and Van Kan become the 14th and 15th All-Americans in Lady Vol program history and represent the first Tennessee duo to earn All-America recognition in the same season since 2015.

The honors underscore Tennessee's emergence as one of the nation's premier women's golf programs during the 2025-26 campaign.

For Messimer, the accolade caps a sensational freshman season that has already established her among the brightest young stars in college golf. Earlier Tuesday, the standout rookie was also named to the WGCA Division I All-Freshman Team, an honor recognizing the top five freshmen in the nation.

Messimer's historic debut season included a 71.11 scoring average and 20 rounds at par or better, both surpassing previous Tennessee single-season records. She posted seven top-10 finishes, highlighted by an individual championship at the Chris Banister Golf Classic and a runner-up finish in her SEC Championship debut.

Her remarkable freshman campaign also earned her SEC Freshman of the Year honors, First Team All-SEC recognition, and a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team.

Meanwhile, Van Kan continued her ascent as one of the SEC's most consistent performers. The sophomore shattered Tennessee's single-season scoring average record with a stellar 71.00 average and set another program benchmark with 21 rounds at par or better.

Van Kan recorded six top-10 finishes during the season, including an individual victory at the Paradise Invitational. Her season reached another level at the NCAA Championships, where she tied for fifth place, the second-best individual finish ever recorded by a Tennessee golfer at the national championship event.

Her outstanding play throughout the season earned her All-SEC Second Team recognition and positioned her among the nation's most accomplished sophomores.

The dual All-America selections reflect the extraordinary success Tennessee enjoyed throughout the 2025-26 season. With two players rewriting the record book simultaneously, the Lady Vols consistently competed among the nation's elite and established themselves as a legitimate contender on the national stage.

Perhaps most encouraging for Tennessee fans is that the program's future appears even brighter. With Messimer just completing her freshman year and Van Kan entering her junior campaign, the Lady Vols return two of the most decorated players in collegiate golf.

As Tennessee looks ahead to the 2026-27 season, the combination of All-America talent, SEC success, and NCAA Championship experience positions the Lady Vols as a program poised to contend for conference and national titles.

For a program with a rich history but limited recent All-America recognition, Tuesday's announcement served as confirmation that Tennessee women's golf has officially returned to the national spotlight.

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-- By Amelia Nettles

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