The Youngstown State women's golf team was picked first in the 2026 Under Armour Horizon League Women's Golf Preseason Poll after a vote of the league's head coaches, the league office announced on Thursday. The Penguins received a total of 47 points and five of a possible seven first-place votes.
Oakland was picked second with two first-place votes and 43 points while Purdue Fort Wayne received 35 points to be tabbed third. Green Bay garnered 26 points to come in fourth while IU Indy and Northern Kentucky each tied for fifth with 18 points. Detroit Mercy received nine points to be slotted seventh in the poll.
The Penguins have returned four All-Horizon League picks from last season's team that finished as the runner-up at the 2025 Horizon League Championships. Junior and reigning Horizon League Player of the Year Neeranuch Prajunpanich was a First-Team All-Horizon League selection for the second straight year in 2024-25. Prajunpanich earned medalist honors at the league meet last season to earn a spot on the Horizon League All-Tournament Team for the second straight campaign as well as an individual berth in the NCAA Columbus Regional.
In addition to Prajunpanich, Youngstown State welcomed back three additional players who garnered All-Horizon League honors in 2024-25. Last season, 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.
YSU finished in the top five on the team leaderboard in each of its six tournaments during the fall portion of the 2025-26 season. The Guins opened the fall campaign with a fourth-place finish at Clemson's Tiger Classic on Aug. 25 before rattling off three straight tournament victories at the YSU Kickoff (Sept. 1), the Total Athlete Collegiate (Sept. 8-9) and the Roseann Schwartz Invitational (Sept. 21-22). YSU finished as the runner-up at Notre Dame's Fighting Irish Classic on Sept. 28 before closing the fall slate with a fifth-place performance at Delaware's Lady Blue Hen Invitational on Oct. 18-19.
Youngstown State will begin the spring portion of its 2025-26 season Feb. 9-10 with The Oyster Shuck Match Play event at Charleston Municipal Golf Course in Charleston, S.C. The 2026 Horizon League Golf Championships will take place April 25-27 at Mission Resort + Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.
2026 Under Armour Women's #HLGOLF Preseason Poll
Pl. Team (First-place votes) – Pts.
1. Youngstown State (5) – 47
2. Oakland (2) – 43
3. Purdue Fort Wayne – 35
4. Green Bay – 26
T5. IU Indianapolis – 18
T5. Northern Kentucky – 18
7. Detroit Mercy – 9
For news and updates throughout the spring season, follow @YSUWomensGolf on X and Instagram.
