The Youngstown State women's golf team's 2025-26 season was highlighted by five tournament victories and a runner-up finish at the 2026 Horizon League Championship.

The Penguins competed in 12 events across six different states from late August to late April during the campaign.

Highlights and key accomplishments from the team's 2025-26 season are detailed below.

Penguins Match School Record with Five Tournament Wins

• Youngstown State matched the single-season school record with five tournament victories for the second straight season in 2025-26. The Penguins picked up three wins during the fall portion of the campaign before winning two more team titles during the spring slate. The 2025-26 season marked the sixth time in program history the Penguins won five tournaments in a single campaign. The Guins have now won five events in a season four times under Head Coach Nate Miklos, who also guided his team to five tournament victories in 2020-21, 2022-23 and 2024-25.
• 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.
• The Penguins set new school records for lowest 36-hole performance and lowest team round in relation to par while winning their third straight fall tournament at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational on Sept. 22. After seizing a commanding 21-shot advantage with a team score of 290 in the opening round, YSU pulled away with a school-record 284 (-4) in the second session to win the event by 36 strokes over runner-up Purdue Fort Wayne.
• Youngstown State's 284 ranks as the lowest round in relation to par in program history, eclipsing the previous mark of 285 (-3) at the Indiana State University Invitational in 2018-19. The Penguins finished the tournament at two under par with a two-round team total of 574 to set a new school record for lowest 36-hole tournament. YSU surpassed the previous mark of 577, which was also set at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational in 2018-19.
• The Penguins collected their fourth tournament victory of the 2025-26 season at the EKU Colonel Classic on March 31 before winning the YSU Spring Invitational on April 6.

Guins Post Runner-Up Finish at HL Championship; Three Earn All-League Honors

• Youngstown State earned a runner-up finish at the 2026 Horizon League Women's Golf Championship on April 27 at Mission Inn Resort + Club in Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla. The Penguins finished with a three-round team total of 945 to come in 12 strokes back of Oakland, which claimed the HL title for the third straight season. YSU recorded team scores of 313 and 312 over the first two rounds, respectively, before closing the event with a 320 in the third and final session.
• Youngstown State has now finished as the runner-up at the HL Championship each of the last three seasons. The Penguins have finished first or second at the league meet four times in the last six seasons.
• Neeranuch Prajunpanich was voted the Horizon League's Women's Golfer of the Year for the second straight season while earning First Team All-Horizon League honors for the third consecutive campaign in 2025-26. Maddi Shoults joined Prajunpanich on the All-Horizon League First Team while Sofia Perez Escarcena was selected to the All-Horizon League Second Team.
• Shoults earns first-team all-league honors as a senior after being a second-team all-league pick as a junior in 2024-25. Perez Escarcena has now been a second-team all-league selection in each of her first two collegiate seasons. YSU has now had at least two players garner all-league honors in each of the last seven seasons that postseason awards have been handed out.

Prajunpanich Repeats as HL Women's Golfer of the Year; Breaks YSU Career Wins Record

• Neeranuch Prajunpanich, who became the sixth player in program history to be named Horizon League Golfer of the Year in 2024-25, joined Samantha Formeck (2009, 2010) as the second Penguin to collect the honor in two different seasons. The Samut Prakan, Thailand, native becomes just the fifth player in program history to earn first-team all-league recognition at least three times.
• Prajunpanich participated in all 12 tournaments including all 27 stroke-play rounds as a junior in 2025-26. She averaged a team-best 74.4 strokes per round with a low round of 64. Prajunpanich's 74.4 strokes-per-round average ranks as the fifth-lowest single-season mark in program history. She earned three individual tournament wins, eight top five finishes and 10 top 15 performances in 11 stroke-play events this past season.
• Prajunpanich finished in a three-player tie atop the individual leaderboard at seven under par with a two-round score of 137 (67-70) at Clemson's Tiger Classic on Aug. 25 to begin her 2025-26 campaign. The junior's two-round 137 ranks as the second-lowest individual 36-hole performance in school history. It is the lowest 36-hole score by a Penguin since Katlyn Shutt recorded a school-record 132 (68-64) at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational on Sept. 3-4, 2018. Prajunpanich's first-round 67 is tied for the third-lowest individual single-round score in program history.
• Prajunpanich fired a career-low and bogey-free round of 64 to finish at eight under par and claim medalist honors by 11 strokes at the YSU Kickoff on Sept. 1. The junior matched the single-round school record of 64 that was set by Shutt (2017-21) at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational on Sept. 4, 2018. Prajunpanich carded 11 pars, six birdies and an eagle on the par-five No. 7 on Mill Creek's North Course during her historic round.
• Prajunpanich earned her third straight top five finish to begin the 2025-26 season as she finished tied for third with a three-round total of 220 (75-73-72) at the Total Athlete Collegiate. The junior finished fourth at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational with a two-round score of 147 (76-71). Prajunpanich finished tied for 11th at Notre Dame's Fighting Irish Classic with a two-round 155 (75-80) before closing the fall season with a three-round 218 (73-68-77) to finish tied for third at Delaware's Lady Blue Hen Invitational.
• Prajunpanich earned her third individual victory of the season with a three-round score of 221 (72-75-74) at the EKU Colonel Classic. The junior finished tied for second on the individual leaderboard with a three-round score of 219 (73-73-73) at the Howard Lady Bison Intercollegiate. She also placed third at the YSU Spring Invitational with a two-round score of 153 (79-74).
• With three individual tournament wins in 2025-26, Prajunpanich eclipsed the school record of eight career wins, which was previously held by Emily Dixon (2014-16). She was twice named the Under Armour Horizon League Women's Golfer of the Week during the spring portion of the 2025-26 season. Prajunpanich finished tied for sixth at the 2026 Horizon League Women's Golf Championship with a three-round total of 232 (77-79-76).

Shoults, Rugola Conclude Careers

• Maddi Shoults, who was a two-time NAIA Second-Team All-American at Ottawa University Arizona before transferring to YSU prior to the 2024-25 season, participated in all 12 tournaments including all 27 stroke-play rounds for the Penguins this past season. The Circleville, Ohio, native was named First-Team All-Horizon League in 2025-26 after being a second-team all-league pick in 2024-25.
• Shoults averaged 75.6 strokes per round with a low round of 68 this past season. She earned one individual tournament win, five top five finishes and 10 top 25 performances in 11 stroke-play events in 2025-26. Shoults finished atop the individual leaderboard at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational with a two-round score of 141 (69-72), which is tied for the fourth-lowest individual 36-hole score in program history. She finished tied for 12th at the 2026 Horizon League Women's Golf Championship in her final collegiate tournament.
• Shoults placed third at even par with a two-round score of 144 (76-68) at Notre Dame's Fighting Irish Classic. The senior matched her career low round with a four-under-par 68 in the second session that featured 10 pars and six birdies. Shoults also finished as the individual runner-up at the YSU Kickoff with a single-round score of 75. She placed third at the EKU Colonel Classic with a three-round score of 226 (79-75-72), and she finished tied for fourth at the YSU Spring Invitational with a two-round total of 156 (81-75).
• Senior Adena Rugola also concluded her collegiate career in 2025-26. The Uniontown, Pa., native participated in 26 tournaments and 49 rounds for the Penguins over the past four campaigns. Rugola competed in five tournaments and nine rounds as a senior in 2025-26, and she finished tied for fourth at the YSU Kickoff with a season-low round of 77.

Sophomore Class Makes Major Impact

• Youngstown State's trio of sophomores made a major impact for the Penguins in 2025-26. Sofia Perez Escarcena was named Second-Team All-Horizon League for the second consecutive season. The Estepona, Spain, native participated in all 12 tournaments and all 27 stroke-play rounds for the Penguins as a sophomore in 2025-26.
• Perez Escarcena averaged 76.9 strokes per round with a low round of 68 during her sophomore campaign. She earned one individual tournament win, five top 10 finishes and eight top 25 performances in 11 stroke-play events in 2025-26. Perez Escarcena earned her first career individual win with a three-round score of 216 (76-68-72) at the Total Athlete Collegiate on Sept. 8-9. She placed 23rd at the 2026 Horizon League Women's Golf Championship. Perez Escarcena's three-round 216 at the Total Athlete Collegiate ranks as the sixth-lowest 54-hole score in program history.
• Perez Escarcena finished one shot back as the individual runner-up with a two-round total of 142 (70-72) at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational, and she finished tied for fourth at Notre Dame's Fighting Irish Classic with a two-round 150 (78-72).
• Valentina Peña Anaya participated in all 12 tournaments including all 27 stroke-play rounds for the Penguins in 2025-26. The sophomore averaged 77.1 strokes per round with a low round of 69 this past season. She earned one individual tournament win, five top 10 finishes and eight top 25 performances in 11 stroke-play events in 2025-26. Peña Anaya was named the Under Armour Horizon League Women's Golfer of the Week on April 9 after earning medalist honors at the YSU Spring Invitational with a two-round score of 149 (74-75).
• Peña Anaya placed third at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational with a two-round score of 144 (75-69), and she finished third at the YSU Kickoff with a single-round score of 76. She finished tied for ninth at the EKU Colonel Classic with a three-round total of 232 (78-76-78), and she tied for ninth at the Horizon League Championship with a three-round 234 (79-78-77).
• Bella Saur competed in a total of 11 tournaments and 23 stroke-play rounds for the Penguins this past season after participating in a total of six tournaments and 13 rounds as a freshman in 2024-25. The sophomore finished tied for 19th at the Total Athlete Collegiate with a three-round total of 229 (76-74-79). Saur matched her career low round with a two-over-par 74 in the second round that featured 12 pars and a pair of birdies.

Burns, Zines Gain First Collegiate Experience

• Redshirt freshmen Maureen Burns and Matilyn Zines each gained the first experience of their collegiate careers in 2025-26.
• Burns competed in six tournaments and 13 rounds this past season with a low round of 74 after redshirting in 2024-25.
• Zines, who also redshirted during the 2024-25 season, participated in seven tournaments and 14 rounds with a low round of 76 during the 2025-26 season.

Prajunpanich, Shoults Named to HL All-Academic Team

• Following the 2025-26 season, Neeranuch Prajunpanich and Maddi Shoults were each selected to the 2026 Valeo Horizon League Women's Golf All-Academic Team for their combined performance on the course and in the classroom.
• Prajunpanich earned academic all-conference honors for the second straight season while Shoults collected the honor for the first time following her second season as a Penguin.

Emptying the Notebook

• Youngstown State's two-round team score of 578 at the Clemson Tiger Classic on Aug. 25 ranks as the third-lowest 36-hole performance in program history.
• YSU's three-round team score of 886 at the Total Athlete Collegiate (Sept. 8-9) ranks as the third-lowest 54-hole performance in program history.
• Youngstown State's three-round team score of 890 at the Delaware Lady Blue Hen Invitational is tied for the fifth-lowest 54-hole performance in school history.
• YSU's single-round team scoring average of 303.07 in 2025-26 ranks as the third lowest mark in program history.

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