Carter Sichol, a Winnetka native and New Trier High School graduate, became the first women's golfer in Carleton College history to win an NCAA Division III individual national championship this spring.

Then she added another first.

College Sports Communicators (CSC) named Sichol to the 2025-26 Academic All-America First Team on Tuesday, July 7, recognizing both her 3.82 GPA and a senior season that included the MIAC conference individual title and the national crown. The honor places her among the top student-athletes in Division III women's at-large sports.

Sichol's championship run at Desert Willow Golf Resort capped a dominant final year under head coach Sloan Wallgren. She entered the NCAA Championships ranked No. 21 nationally, climbed from the middle of the pack to solo second after three rounds, and won the individual title in the final round on Friday, May 23. Her 18th-ranked Carleton squad finished 11th in the team standings.

The performance was years in the making. As a freshman in 2023, Sichol shot 80-76-76 for a three-round total of 232 to finish 10th individually at the NCAA Division III Championship, leading Carleton to a 15th-place team finish. During her senior year, she posted top-five finishes at five of the Knights' eight tournaments and earned a Women's Golf Coaches Association All-America selection on Wednesday, May 20, before the national tournament began.

"There was a lot less pressure during the spring season," Sichol told The Record North Shore in 2023, describing the rhythm of Division III golf. "You could focus on what you needed to improve on and not have to try to shoot a really low score."

Sichol's twin sister, Peyton, also a New Trier graduate, plays golf at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. In 2023, both sisters competed at the NCAA Division III Championship for their respective schools as freshmen, with parents, a brother, grandparents, and uncles all in attendance.

Three years later, Carter finished her Carleton career with a national title and a 3.82 GPA.