Women’s Golf Begins Spring Season Saturday at Columbia Classic

The Youngstown State women's golf team will open the spring portion of its 2024-25 season on Saturday when it begins play in the two-day Columbia Classic at Duran Golf Club in Melbourne, Fla.

The Columbia Classic begins a spring schedule for the Penguins which includes six events culminating with the 2025 Horizon League Championships on April 19-21 at Mission Inn Resort in Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla. YSU's first two events of the spring slate will take place in Florida before three consecutive tournaments in Ohio prior to the league championships.

The tournament field at the Columbia Classic will feature 11 other schools including Boston University, Columbia (host), Dartmouth, Duquesne, Emory University, Illinois State, Marshall, Princeton, Quinnipiac, Seton Hall and the University of Pennsylvania.

The teams will play 36 holes on Saturday and 18 holes on Sunday in the two-day, 54-hole event. Play is scheduled to begin with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. each day. The course will play approximately 6,312 yards and par is 72. Live scoring throughout the tournament will be available via Scoreboard Live through links posted on YSUsports.com.

Head Coach Nate Miklos has announced that YSU's five-player lineup will feature Neeranuch Prajunpanich, Valentina Peña Anaya, Lizzie Saur, Sofia Perez Escarcena and Maddi Shoults.

Fall Recap

Three Tournament Wins Highlight Another Strong Fall

Youngstown State claimed three tournament victories in five events during the fall portion of the 2024-25 season. The Penguins won the season-opening YSU Kickoff on Sept. 2 at Mill Creek Golf Course in Boardman, Ohio.
Playing as an individual, Shoults fired a four-under-par 68 in her YSU debut to claim medalist honors in the 40-player field. The Circleville, Ohio, native was an NAIA Second-Team All-American each of the last two seasons at Ottawa University Arizona. Shoult's bogey-free round featured 14 pars and four birdies as she shot a three-under-par 33 on the back nine.
YSU also won its second home tournament of the slate as it took the team crown at the 10th annual Roseann Schwartz Invitational at Mill Creek Golf Course. The Penguins posted a team score of 292 in the opening round to take a five-shot advantage into the final session. Youngstown State proceeded to record a second-round 294 to finish with a 586 and claim their home tournament title for the third straight season. YSU's two-round 586 ranks as the sixth-lowest 36-hole team performance in school history.
In just her third collegiate tournament, Peña Anaya fired a two-round total of 142 (70-72) to finish tied atop the individual leaderboard. Prajunpanich, who also finished with a two-round score of 142 (71-71), was awarded medalist honors based on low final-round score. Each player's performance is tied for the fourth-lowest 36-hole score in program history.
The Guins collected their third victory of the fall season in record-breaking fashion by winning the Butler Fall Invitational on Oct. 1 at Highland Golf & Country Club in Indianapolis. The Penguins finished with a three-round team total of 863 to win the tournament by 12 strokes and shatter the program record for lowest 54-hole performance. YSU eclipsed the previous record of 878, which was set at the Kiawah Island Spring Classic on Feb. 24-26, 2019.
Youngstown State also set a new school record for lowest 18-hole performance with a 284 in the opening round. That performance surpassed the previous mark of 285, which was set at the Indiana State University Invitational on April 7, 2019. The Guins followed up their record-breaking round with a 290 in the second round before carding a 289 in the third and final session. All three team rounds rank among the top 10 18-hole performances in school history.

Prajunpanich Continues Strong Play After Stellar Freshman Season

Sophomore and reigning Horizon League Freshman of the Year Neeranuch Prajunpanich has continued her strong play as a sophomore after a stellar debut collegiate campaign in 2023-24. Prajunpanich was named First-Team All-Horizon League and to the Horizon League All-Tournament Team last season as a true freshman.
Prajunpanich earned three top-10 finishes and twice finished atop the individual leaderboard while competing in all five tournaments and 12 rounds during the fall season. The sophomore is averaging a team-best 73.2 strokes per round with a low round of 69 heading into the spring campaign.
Prajunpanich placed second at the season-opening YSU Kickoff with an even-par 72 before earning medalist honors at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational with a two-round score of 142 (71-71).
Prajunpanich finished tied atop the individual leaderboard at the Butler Fall Invitational with a three-round score of 211 (69-72-70). The sophomore fell on the third hole of a playoff for medalist honors to finish as the individual runner-up. Prajunpanich's three-round 211 ranks as the third-lowest 54-hole score in program history. The sophomore's career-low, one-under-par 69 in the first round featured 13 pars and three birdies as she shot a one-under-par 34 on the back nine.

Upperclassmen Provide Experience, Veteran Leadership

Youngstown State's 2024-25 roster features a group of experienced upperclassmen who will be leaned upon for veteran leadership heading into the spring season. Senior Lizzie Saur is most experienced Penguin on the roster, having competed in 40 events since joining the program as a freshman in 2021-22.
Saur, who was named Second-Team All-Horizon League as a junior last season, averaged 75.8 strokes per round this past fall while competing in all five events and 12 rounds. She finished tied for 17th at the Butler Fall Invitational with a three-round 220 (71-75-74) before finishing tied for 12th at the Lady Blue Hen Invitational with a three-round 221 (75-72-74).
Junior Maddi Shoults, who is in her debut season as a Penguin as a transfer from NAIA Ottawa University Arizona, averaged 75.6 strokes per round with a team-low round of 68 while competing in four tournaments nine rounds during the fall campaign. She earned medalist honors in her YSU debut at the YSU Kickoff with a four-under-par round of 68. Shoults also finished tied for 16th at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational with two-round total of 151 (75-76).
Junior Adena Rugola is another experienced upperclassman who has now competed in 21 tournaments and 40 rounds during her career after participating in four events and seven rounds this past fall.

Freshmen Make Immediate Impact

YSU had four different true freshmen make their collegiate debuts during the fall portion of the 2024-25 season. Valentina Peña Anaya and Sofia Perez Escarcena each competed in all five tournaments and 12 rounds during the fall season while Bella Saur and Taylor Morrone each participated in three events.
Peña Anaya ranks second on the team averaging 74.1 strokes per round while earning three top-10 finishes and firing a low round of 70 on two occasions. She placed fifth in her collegiate debut at the YSU Kickoff with a single-round 78, and she tied for 13th at the Nittany Lion Invitational with a three-round 222 (71-76-75). Peña Anaya finished tied atop of the individual leaderboard at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational with a two-round score of 142 (70-72), and she placed third at the Butler Fall Invitational with a three-round 213 (71-72-70).
Perez Escarcena is averaging 75.9 strokes per round while recording a low round of 73 on three occasions. She placed third in her collegiate debut at the YSU Kickoff with a single-round 76, and she tied for 16th at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational with a two-round total of 151 (75-76).
Bella Saur competed in three tournaments and six rounds during the fall, averaging 79.3 strokes per round with a low round of 74. Morrone participated in three tournaments and four rounds with a low round of 82 in her collegiate debut at the YSU Kickoff.

For the latest news and updates throughout the spring season, follow @YSUWomensGolf on X and Instagram.

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