HILLSBORO, Ore.—After putting together the best performance of her first season at the Northwest Conference Championship Tournament, Lewis & Clark College women's golf first year Ahika Jani was named the NWC Rookie of the Year and earned a spot on the NWC All-Conference First Team.  
 
Jani is the first Pioneers women's golfer to earn NWC Rookie of the Year since Kamryn Ford ('22) was recognized at the conclusion of the 2018-19 season. Jani became the first Lewis & Clark golfer to earn NWC First Team honors since sophomore Claire Burke ('17) carved out a spot on the NWC First Team in 2015.
 
The first year from Mumbai, India earned both awards, after recording the best round and best tournament scores of her career. 
 
At this past week's NWC Tournament, Jani shot a 77 (+5) on Sunday and a 74 (+2) on Monday. Her two-day total of 151 (+7) put her second overall in the field of 39 NWC golfers. Jani's score of 77 on Day One matched the best round of her collegiate career and her 74 was the lowest round by a Pioneers since the 2021-22 season. Her tournament score of 151 (+7) was the best on the team this season by five strokes and the best by an L&C women's golfer since Ford shot a 147 (+3) at the 2021 NWC Fall Classic. Jani led the entire field with nine birdies across 36 holes and she also finished first overall with a 2.90 average (-3) on Par 3s. 
 
The first year finished second on the team and inside the top-20 at the first two NWC events of the season. In her collegiate conference debut, Jani shot a 159 (77-82) at the NWC Fall Classic. She wrapped up the tournament with a score of +15 to finish tied for 11^th overall. In the first NWC tournament of 2025, Jani tied for 19^th overall at the NWC Fall Classic. The first year shot a 163 (83-80) to close the tournament with a score of +19. 
 
She competed in 10 tournaments during her first season. Jani won the 18-hole Langdon Tri Meet, finished second overall at the NWC Championship and tied for eighth at the Menlo College Invitational. The first year led the team with an average round score of 82.58 (+11). She posted a score of 80 (+8) or lower in seven of her 19 rounds this season. In her final four tournaments of the season, Jani lowered her average to 79.7 (+7) across seven rounds. She posted a score of 83 (+11) or better in her final seven rounds of the season.