Columbus area golf standout Eliza Mercer has signed to join the Youngstown State women's golf program in the fall of 2026, YSU head coach Nate Miklos announced on Thursday.
"We are very excited to add Eliza to our program next fall," said Miklos. "She has a shown a lot of growth in her game, and she has the ability to compete at a very high level. Eliza is a great fit for our program with her work ethic and attitude. She will be a great addition to our Penguin family on and off the course in the years to come."
Mercer, a native of Gahanna, Ohio, was a two-time Ohio Capital Conference Player of the Year and four-time First-Team All-OCC selection at Gahanna Lincoln High School. As a senior and team captain in 2025, she was named the OCC Player of the Year for the second time after earning five first place finishes and breaking a pair of school records.
Mercer set a new school mark for lowest individual nine-hole score with a 31 while surpassing her own previous record for lowest individual 18-hole score with a 69. She recorded an 18-hole scoring average of 74 as a senior while being selected as a recipient of Gahanna Lincoln's Bill Withrow Award. Mercer was also nominated for Columbus Dispatch Athlete of the Week after firing a round of 69.
Mercer earned six first place finishes and a third-place performance at the OCC Tournament while being recognized with Gahanna Lincoln's Team MVP Award as a junior in 2024. She was named the OCC Player of the Year as a sophomore in 2023 after finishing the season with seven first-place tournament finishes, a 71.3 scoring average and school-record 18-hole individual score of 70.
Mercer earned All-District Honorable Mention honors as a freshman in 2022, placing second at the OCC Tournament and recording a low nine-hole round of 33. She carded a low 18-hole score of 68 at the COGA Grassroots Tour Showcase at Apple Valley Golf Club while her low nine-hole score of 31 came at Westchester Golf Course during her senior high school season.
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