Youngstown State University
Horizon League Golf Championships
Women’s Golf Goes For Fifth League Title at Horizon League Championships
4/18/2024 12:04:00 PM | Women's Golf
The Youngstown State women's golf team will be going for its fifth league title when the 2024 Horizon League Championships begin on Saturday at Mission Inn Resort in Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla.
The three-day, 54-hole event will take place at Mission Inn Resort's El Campeon course as the teams will play 18 holes on Saturday, Sunday and Monday to determine the conference champion. Live scoring will be available throughout the tournament at Golfstat.com.
The Penguins finished fifth at the 2023 Horizon League Championships with a three-round team total of 941. After posting scores of 317 and 315 over the first two rounds, respectively, YSU finished the tournament with a 309 in the final round.
The women's tournament field will feature seven other teams including Cleveland State, Detroit Mercy, Green Bay, IUPUI, Northern Kentucky, Oakland and Purdue Fort Wayne.
The Penguins, who enter the tournament as the second seed, will tee off on No. 1 beginning at 1:20 p.m. on Saturday. YSU's tee times off No. 10 for Sunday's second round will begin at 7:30 a.m. Tee times for Sunday's third and final round will be based on current placement.
Head Coach Nate Miklos has announced that YSU's lineup will feature Neeranuch Prajunpanich, Lizzie Saur, Titita Loudtragulngam, Danae Rugola and Adena Rugola. In addition, Chaela Barnett will be available as a possible substitute.
YSU's Saturday Tee Times:
- A. Rugola – 1:20 p.m.
- D. Rugola – 1:30 p.m.
- Loudtragulngam – 1:40 p.m.
- Saur – 1:50 p.m.
- Prajunpanich – 2 p.m.
Prajunpanich will be competing at the league meet for the first time after a stellar debut season in 2023-24. The true freshman ranks second on the team with a 75.7 scoring average while having competed in all 10 tournaments and 23 rounds. She has recorded one tournament victory and six top-10 finishes with a low round of 70 during the 2023-24 season. Prajunpanich has not finished outside of the top 30 of the individual standings in 10 tournaments played thus far.
Saur will be competing at the Horizon League Championships for the third time in her career. As a sophomore last season, she recorded scores of 81 and 82 while participating in the first two rounds of play. As a true freshman in 2022, she tied for 34th with a three-round 246 (83-85-78). The junior has competed in all 10 tournaments and 23 rounds this season while averaging a career-best 76.3 strokes per round. The Grove City, Ohio, native has earned seven top-10 finishes while carding a low round of 71. She was named Horizon League Women's Golfer of the Week on Feb. 15. Saur has competed in each of the 34 tournaments YSU has played since she joined the program prior to the 2021-22 season.
Loudtragulngam will be competing at the Horizon League Championships for the second consecutive campaign. The senior finished tied for 17th in 2023 with a three-round score of 237 (80-82-75) in her debut season as a Penguin after transferring from Tulsa. Loudtragulngam has competed in all 10 tournaments and 23 rounds with a 79.9 scoring average and a low round of 73 this season.
Danae Rugola will be the most experienced Penguin at the event as she will be competing at the league meet for the fourth time in her accomplished career. As a fourth-year senior last season, she finished tied for 28th with a three-round score of 245 (81-82-82). As a junior in 2022, she finished tied for 10th with a three-round total of 232 (81-78-73). Rugola tied for 24th at the league meet in 2021 with a three-round total of 236 (78-78-80) to help lead the Penguins to their fourth Horizon League title. The Uniontown, Pa., native has competed in five tournaments and 11 rounds with a 79.0 strokes-per-round average and a low round of 68 in 2023-24. The fifth-year senior earned medalist honors at the season-opening YSU Kickoff before missing the final four events of the fall slate due to injury.
Adena Rugola will be making her Horizon League Championships debut for the Penguins on Saturday. The sophomore has competed in nine tournaments and 20 rounds with an 80.8 scoring average and a low round of 74 this season. Barnett, who would also be making her debut at the league meet if called upon, has competed in all 10 tournaments and 23 rounds with an 80.4 scoring average and a low round of 72 in 2023-24.
YSU won the first-ever league meet in 2003, won again in 2009 and claimed the 2015 championship. The 2015 win marked the first NCAA Regional appearance for the Guins after claiming the league crown. Most recently, the Penguins won their fourth league title at the 2021 championships, which were held at Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex in West Lafayette, Ind. YSU advanced to the NCAA Columbus Regional for the second regional appearance in program history.
The Penguins have finished second on six occasions and been third four times as well. The Guins have finished outside of the top three just six times. YSU's league champions have been Lori Hatcher (2003), Katie Rogner (2008), Samantha Formeck (2009), Allison Mitzel (2013), Emily Dixon (2015) and Katlyn Shutt (2017, 2021).
The NCAA Regionals are May 6-8 at six different sites. Host cities for the regionals include Auburn, Ala., Bermuda Run, N.C., Bryan, Texas, Las Vegas, Nev., East Lansing, Mich., and Cle Elum, Wash.
For news and updates throughout the 2024 Horizon League Golf Championships, follow @YSUWomensGolf on X and Instagram.
