NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State head women's golf coach Jackie Szymoniak has added Fairview, Pennsylvania, native Cora Hirz for the 2026-27 season.
Hirz, currently a senior at Fairview High School, has a low 18-hole tournament score of 62 at the Warren Girls Invitational at Cable Hollow. She helped lead her team to the 2024 PIAA Class 2A Girls Golf Championship.
"We are elated to welcome another individual to the Redbird Family for the class of 2026," said Szymoniak. "Cora's game is very solid from start to finish. She is a proven champion with a high golf IQ. Cora is a great student of the game, which is paying dividends as she continues to elevate her game. Her commitment to excellence across the board, along with an incredible ability to help and motivate others, will undoubtfully enable Cora to hit new heights at ISU and make an immediate impact on this program."
She won the 2025 Hurricane Junior Golf Tour (HJGT) Pittsburgh Spring Junior Challenge, the 2025 HJGT Cleveland Junior Open, and the 2025 Peggy Kirk Bell Girls Golf Tour (PKBGT) Delaware Valley Girls Classic and was runner-up at the 2025 PKBGT Lauren Coughlin Girls Tradition and the 2025 Western New York PGA (WNYPGA) Section Junior Championship. She was selected to represent Team Pennsylvania in 2026 in a regional competition for junior golfers that was initiated by the USGA.
Cora also has a long list of extracurricular activities as she has strengthened her school and community beyond just the golf course. She is involved with the National Honor Society, Student Council, SAAD (Students Against Drunk Driving), Unified Bocce, Student Ministry Team, Arts and Communication Academy and the Human Resource Academy.
