WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Dalton State's Jia Kataria has been named the Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) NAIA Player of the Year, capping a dominant 2025-26 season in which she finished No. 1 in the national rankings and led the NAIA with a 71.0 adjusted scoring average.
 
"This recognition means a lot to me as I have been working towards getting better every year while being at Dalton State," said Kataria. The program has helped me grow as a player to be able to receive this award and for that, I am super grateful."
 
The WGCA NAIA Player of the Year award is presented annually to the top women's golfer in the association, recognizing performance, scoring consistency and competitive excellence across the collegiate season.
 
"Jia's body of work speaks for itself," Dalton State head coach Jim McGrew said. "To be No. 1 in the country, win four times and finish near the top in nearly every event shows the level she competed at all year. She set the standard."
 
Kataria, a native of India, separated herself from the field with a rare combination of winning, consistency and week-to-week scoring stability. Across 27 rounds, she produced a nation-leading 86.90 points average, collected four individual tournament titles and finished in the top three eight times. Against NAIA competition, she compiled a remarkable 659-8-1 head-to-head record (wins-losses-ties), underscoring how consistently she outperformed other players in the field throughout the year.
 
Her form carried seamlessly into the postseason. Kataria maintained her No. 1 national ranking through the championship stretch, winning individual medalist at the SSAC Championship in April, and capping the run with a runner-up finish at the NAIA Women's Golf National Championship, delivering one of the most complete seasons in the country.
 
In addition to her individual production, Kataria anchored the Lady Roadrunners' lineup all season, providing a steady presence at the top of the scoring order and setting the pace each time Dalton State teed it up. Her reliability, paired with her ability to contend for wins, helped elevate Dalton State's standing nationally throughout the year.
 
Kataria represented India and Dalton State on the international stage in February, competing in the Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific in New Zealand.

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