Photo by: Robert Hayes
YSU Women’s Golf 2024-25 Season In Review
6/5/2025 12:45:00 PM | Women's Golf
The Youngstown State women's golf team's 2024-25 season was highlighted by five tournament victories and an individual appearance at the NCAA Regionals.
The Penguins competed in 11 events across five different states from early September to late April during its 2024-25 season.
Highlights and key accomplishments from the team's 2024-25 season are detailed below.
Penguins Match School Record with Five Tournament Wins
- Youngstown State matched the single-season school record with five tournament victories during the 2024-25 season. The Penguins picked up three wins during the fall portion of the campaign before winning two more team titles during the spring slate.
- The 2024-25 season marked the fifth time in program history the Penguins won five tournaments in a single campaign. The Guins have now won five events in a season three times under Head Coach Nate Miklos, who also guided his team to five tournament victories in 2020-21 and 2022-23.
- The Penguins won the season-opening YSU Kickoff on Sept. 2 at Mill Creek Golf Course in Boardman, Ohio. YSU also won its second home tournament of the season as it took the team crown at the 10th annual Roseann Schwartz Invitational at Mill Creek Golf Course on Sept. 23. 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 seventh-lowest 36-hole team performance in school 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 at the Butler Fall Invitational. 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.
- YSU claimed its fourth tournament victory of the season at The Julie hosted by Northern Kentucky on March 24 at Elks Run Golf Club in Batavia, Ohio. The Penguins finished with a two-round team total of 621 to win the tournament by eight shots over runner-up Lindenwood. YSU posted a team score of 317 in the opening round before recording a 304 in the second and final session. Youngstown State and Lindenwood were tied for first place following the first round of competition.
- YSU's fifth and final victory of the campaign was a 14-shot win at the YSU Spring Invitational on April 7 at Avalon Lakes Golf Course in Warren, Ohio. Youngstown State finished with a team two-round team total of 582, which ranks as the third-lowest 36-hole performance in program history. The Penguins opened the event with a one-under-par team score of 287 before posting a 295 in the final session to finish at six over par as a team. YSU's first-round 287 is tied for the fourth-lowest 18-hole performance in school history.
Guins Earn Runner-Up Finish at HL Championship; Five Earn All-League Honors
- Youngstown State earned a runner-up finish at the 2025 Horizon League Women's Golf Championship on April 21 at Mission Inn Resort + Club in Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla.
- The Penguins finished with a three-round team total of 929 to come in two strokes back of Oakland, which claimed the HL title for the second straight season. YSU recorded team scores of 313 and 312 over the first two rounds, respectively, before closing the event with a 304 in the third and final session.
- Youngstown State has now finished as the runner-up at the HL Championship each of the last two seasons. The Penguins have finished first or second at the league meet three times in the last five seasons.
- The 2024-25 season marked the first time in program history that YSU had five all-league honorees. This past season also marked the first time in Horizon League history that a team has had five representatives on the all-league teams. The Penguins previously had four all-league selections in 2018-19. YSU has now had at least two players garner all-league honors in each of the last six seasons that postseason awards have been handed out.
Prajunpanich Puts Together Historic Sophomore Season
- Neeranuch Prajunpanich put together a historic sophomore season in 2024-25 that featured an individual win at the Horizon League Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Regionals.
- Prajunpanich competed in 12 tournaments and a single-season school record 31 rounds during the 2024-25 campaign. She averaged 74.3 strokes per round, which is tied for the third-lowest single-season scoring average in program history, while recording a low round of 69. Prajunpanich was named the Under Armour Horizon League Women's Golfer of the Week on three occasions during the spring season. She earned seven top 10 finishes while finishing in the top 30 at 11 of 12 events. She was named the Horizon League Women's Golfer of the Year and selected to the All-Horizon League First Team on April 24.
- Prajunpanich became the sixth player in program history to be named Horizon League Golfer of the Year. She joined Gina Abruzzino (2004), Katie Rogner (2008), Samantha Formeck (2009, 2010), Emily Dixon (2016) and Katlyn Shutt (2021). The Samut Prakan, Thailand, native earned First-Team All-Horizon League honors for the second straight season to become the ninth player in program history to earn first-team all-league accolades multiple times.
- Prajunpanich earned five first-place finishes in 2024-25 to match the school record for wins in a campaign. She joined Jessica Lundblad (1997-98) as the only two players in program history to win five events in a season. Prajunpanich became YSU's first individual league champion since Katlyn Shutt claimed medalist honors at the 2021 HL Championship.
- Prajunpanich became the first individual in program history to qualify for the NCAA Regionals after winning individual medalist honors at the 2025 Horizon League Women's Golf Championship on April 21 at Mission Resort + Club in Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla. Prajunpanich finished with a three-round score of 222 (78-71-73) at the HL Championship to pull away for an impressive seven-shot individual victory and earn Horizon League All-Tournament Team honors for the second straight season.
- 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). Prajunpanich's three-round 211 ranks as the third-lowest 54-hole score in program history.
- Prajunpanich earned medalist honors at NKU's The Julie with a two-round score of 151 (78-73) before finishing tied atop the individual leaderboard at the YSU Spring Invitational with a two-round 144 (72-72). The sophomore finished tied for 41st at the NCAA Columbus Regional with a three-round total of 227 (73-79-75).
- Prajunpanich was also named to the Horizon League Women's Golf All-Academic Team for her combined performance on the course in the classroom.
Saur Concludes Accomplished Career
- Senior Lizzie Saur concluded her accomplished four-year YSU career in 2024-25. The Grove City, Ohio, native was named Second-Team All-Horizon League for the second straight season while also earning Horizon League All-Academic Honorable Mention honors.
- Saur competed in all 11 tournaments and 28 rounds in 2024-25 with a 77.3 strokes-per-round average and a low round of 71. The senior earned four top 10 finishes and seven top 25 performances during her final collegiate campaign.
- Saur's top finish of the 2024-25 season was a second-place finish at NKU's The Julie with a two-round score of 152 (78-74). She also tied for seventh at the Horizon League Championship with a three-round total of 237 (81-80-76).
- Saur competed in every tournament YSU played as a team during her four-year career. She set a new program record with 104 career rounds played while her 77.8 career scoring average ranked as the eighth-lowest mark in program history at the conclusion of her career.
Newcomers Make Major Impact
- Three newcomers to the YSU women's golf program made a major impact in their first season as Penguins in 2024-25. Freshman Valentina Peña Anaya was selected as the Horizon League Women's Golf Freshman of the Year, and she was joined on the All-Horizon League Second Team by fellow newcomers Sofia Perez Escarcena and Maddi Shoults.
- Peña Anaya became the seventh Penguin to be named the conference's Newcomer or Freshman of the Year, and the fifth since Miklos took over as head coach in 2013. She joined Katie Rogner (2008), Samantha Formeck (2009), Gabby Minor (2016), Reva Morris (2017), Puthita Khuanrudee (2019) and Prajunpanich (2024).
- Peña Anaya participated in all 11 tournaments and 28 rounds during a stellar debut collegiate season. The Mexico City, Mexico, native finished with a 76.4 strokes-per-round average and a low round of 70. Peña Anaya was named the Under Armour Horizon League Women's Golfer of the Week on April 10 after earning medalist honors at the YSU Spring Invitational. She earned a pair of first place finishes and five top 10 performances during her first collegiate campaign.
- Peña Anaya finished tied for first at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational with a two-round score of 142 (70-72). She also finished tied atop the individual leaderboard at the YSU Spring Invitational with a two-round total of 144 (74-70). Peña Anaya placed third at the Butler Fall Invitational with a three-round score of 213 (71-72-70).
- Perez Escarcena was also rewarded for an impressive debut collegiate season with Second-Team All-Horizon League honors. The Estepona, Spain, native participated in all 11 tournaments and 28 rounds in 2024-25 while averaging 77.3 strokes per round with a low round of 73. Perez Escarcena earned one top 10 finish and seven top 25 performances during her freshman campaign. She finished tied for 11th in her debut at the Horizon League Championships.
- Shoults collected second-team all-league recognition after a successful debut season as a Penguin. The junior transfer and former NAIA All-American from Ottawa University Arizona participated in 10 tournaments and 25 rounds during her first season at the Division I level. She averaged 77.2 strokes per round with a low round of 68 while earning three top 10 finishes and six top 25 performances. Shoults earned medalist honors with a four-under-par round of 68 in her YSU debut at the season-opening YSU Kickoff on Sept. 2. She finished tied for seventh in her debut at the Horizon League Championship.
Emptying the Notebook
- Youngstown State set a new single-season school record for lowest single-round team scoring average in 2024-25. The Penguins posted a single-round team scoring average of 302.71, surpassing the previous mark of 302.92 that was set in 2018-19.
- YSU matched the school record for team rounds played in a season with 28. The Penguins also played a total of 28 team rounds in 2014-15.
- Head Coach Nate Miklos became the program's all-time leader in career coaching victories during the 2024-25 season. Miklos has now guided the Guins to 36 tournament wins, surpassing Roseann Schwartz's mark of 33 victories from 1996-2013.
- Prajunpanich also set a new single-season school record with nine rounds of par or better in 2024-25, surpassing Katlyn Shutt's previous mark of seven in 2018-19. Prajunpanich has also set a new school record with 15 career rounds of par or better, eclipsing Shutt's previous mark of 13 from 2017-21.
For the latest news and updates on the YSU women's golf program, follow @YSUWomensGolf on X and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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Sunday, April 26
Saturday, April 18
Tuesday, April 14
Tuesday, April 14
