Nate Miklos, a four-time Horizon League Coach of the Year, will be in his 14th season as the YSU Women's Golf Coach in 2026-27. He has led the Penguins to two Horizon League Championships and two appearances in the NCAA Regionals.

The Penguins placed in the top-three at the Horizon League Championships in each of his first four years, including a league title in 2015. That win helped the Penguins reach the NCAA Regionals for the first time in school history. Miklos guided YSU to another league crown in 2021 while navigating two different seasons which were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Penguins shattered the previous league 54-hole scoring record by an impressive 27 strokes in 2021 to defeat IUPUI by 15 strokes and advance to the NCAA Regionals for the second time in program history.

During his tenure the Penguins have excelled in the classroom as well. YSU was honored by the NCAA for having a perfect APR (1,000) for the 2014-15 campaign. Annually, the program has received WGCA All-American Scholar Recognition for having a GPA above 3.50. Miklos has also had at least two golfers be named WGCA All-American Scholars in each of his first 13 seasons leading the program.

Most recently in 2025-26, Miklos guided the Penguins to five tournament victories to match the school record for team wins in a season for the second straight campaign. 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 Miklos, who also guided his team to five tournament victories in 2020-21, 2022-23 and 2024-25. Miklos has now collected a school-record 41 wins leading the Penguins.

The Penguins earned their third victory of the 2025-26 season in record-breaking fashion at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational, finishing with a two-round team total of 574 to win the tournament by 36 strokes and set a program record for lowest 36-hole performance. YSU’s 284 (-4) in the second and final round 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.

Junior Neeranuch Prajunpanich was voted as the Horizon League Women’s Golfer of the Year for the second straight season while earning First-Team All-Horizon League honors for the third consecutive campaign. Senior Maddi Shoults joined Prajunpanich on the All-Horizon League First Team while sophomore Sofia Perez Escarcena was selected to the All-Horizon League Second Team. 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 joined Samantha Formeck (2009, 2010) as the second Penguin to collect HL Golfer of the Year honors in two different seasons. The Samut Prakan, Thailand, native also became just the fifth player in program history to earn first-team all-league recognition at least three times. Prajunpanich averaged a team-best 74.4 strokes per round with a low round of 64 while earning three individual tournament wins, eight top five finishes and 10 top 15 performances in 11 stroke-play events.

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, 2025. The junior matched the single-round school record of 64 that was set by Katlyn Shutt (2017-21) at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational on Sept. 4, 2018. With three individual tournament wins in 2025-26, Prajunpanich eclipsed the previous school record of eight career wins, which was previously held by Emily Dixon (2014-16).

As a team, the Penguins earned a runner-up finish at the Horizon League Championship for the third straight season with a three-round total of 945. Prajunpanich finished tied for sixth with a three-round score of 232 (77-79-76) to lead YSU individually at the league meet. Four different Penguins claimed an individual tournament victory during the 2025-26 season.

Following the 2025-26 season, Prajunpanich and 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. At least one Penguin has been named to the Horizon League All-Academic Team in 13 of the last 14 seasons.

In 2024-25, Miklos coached the Penguins to a school-record-tying five tournament victories and a runner-up finish at the 2025 Horizon League Championship. He became the program’s all-time leader in coaching victories during the 2024-25 season, surpassing Roseann Schwartz’s previous mark of 33 wins from 1996-2013.

The Penguins earned their third victory of the 2024-25 season in record-breaking fashion at the Bulter Fall Invitational, finishing 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.

Prajunpanich was voted the Horizon League's Women's Golfer of the Year while earning First-Team All-Horizon League honors for the second straight season in 2024-25. Valentina Peña Anaya was selected as the Horizon League Women's Golf Freshman of the Year, and she was joined the All-Horizon League Second Team by Perez Escarcena, Lizzie Saur and Shoults. The 2024-25 season marked the first time in program history that YSU had five all-league honorees. It was also 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.

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). Prajunpanich 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 became the first individual in program history to qualify for the NCAA Regionals after winning individual medalist honors at the 2025 Horizon League Championship at Mission Resort + Club in Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla. The sophomore finished with a three-round score of 222 (78-71-73) to pull away for an impressive seven-shot individual victory and earn Horizon League All-Tournament Team honors for the second straight season. 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 second player 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 Horizon League Championship.

Prajunpanich concluded her historic sophomore season at the NCAA Columbus Regional on May 5-7 at the OSU Golf Club's Scarlet Course in Columbus, Ohio. Prajunpanich finished tied for 41st on the individual leaderboard with a three-round score of 227 (73-79-75) in her first appearance at the NCAA Regionals.

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).

As a team, the Penguins earned a runner-up finish at the Horizon League Championship for the second straight season with a three-round total of 929. Prajunpanich claimed medalist honors to earn a spot on the Horizon League All-Tournament Team for the second straight campaign while Saur and Shoults each finished tied for seventh.

Prajunpanich was also one of five student-athletes named to the 2025 Valeo Horizon League Women's Golf All-Academic Team while senior Lizzie Saur was an honorable-mention selection. Four Penguins were named WGCA All-American Scholars following the 2024-25 season, and YSU's 3.878 team GPA ranked No. 17 in the nation.

In 2023-24, Miklos guided the Penguins to four tournament wins and a runner-up finish at the 2024 Horizon League Championship. The Penguins claimed four event victories during the fall slate for just the second time in program history and for the first time since the 2000-01 season. YSU also finished tied for third at Penn State's Nittany Lion Invitational during the fall portion of the campaign. Youngstown State's four tournament victories in 2023-24 marked the eighth time in program history and the sixth time under Miklos that the Guins won four or more events in a season.

Youngstown State finished second at the 2024 Horizon League Championship with a three-round total of 954. Neeranuch Prajunpanich placed second individually with a three-round score of 231 (76-76-79) to earn a spot on the Horizon League All-Tournament Team.

Prajunpanich was named Horizon League Freshman of the Year and selected to the All-Horizon League First Team after a stellar debut collegiate campaign in 2023-24. Prajunpanich became the sixth Penguin to be named the Horizon League's Newcomer or Freshman of the Year, and the fourth since Miklos took over as head coach in 2013.

Madie Smithco was named to the All-Horizon League First Team as a senior in 2023-24. She averaged a school-record 73.7 strokes per round over seven tournaments and 16 rounds before missing the final four events of the season due to injury. Smithco earned six top-10 finishes including a first-place performance at Penn State's Nittany Lion Invitational. Smithco was also named Horizon League Women's Golfer of the Week on March 7.

In addition, junior Lizzie Saur was named to the All-Horizon League Second Team in 2023-24. She earned eight top-10 finishes while being named Horizon League Women's Golfer of the Week on Feb. 15. The 2023-24 season marked just the fifth time in program history that the Penguins have had at least three players earn all-league recognition. The Penguins have now had at least two players garner all-league honors in each of the last five seasons that postseason awards have been handed out.

Smithco was also named to the Horizon League All-Academic Team for the second consecutive season in 2023-24. YSU received the Horizon League's Raise Your Sights Award at the conference level with a 3.873 team GPA for the 2023-24 academic year. The award recognizes the top academic male and female team from each Horizon League institution. Seven Penguins were named WGCA All-American Scholars following the 2023-24 season, and YSU's 3.873 team GPA ranked as the seventh-highest mark in the nation.

In 2022-23, the Penguins matched the single-season school record with five tournament victories while earning three additional top-four finishes. It marked just the fourth time in program history, and the second time under Miklos, that YSU won five events in a single campaign. Youngstown State finished fifth at the 2023 Horizon League Championships with a three-round total of 941. Puthita Khuanrudee placed second with a three-round score of 223 (75-74-74) to earn a spot on the Horizon League All-Tournament Team for the third straight season. She became just the fifth player in program history to be a three-time all-tournament team selection.

Khuanrudee was named First-Team All-Horizon League for the third straight season and for the fourth time in her career. She became just the second player in program history to earn all-league honors four times. In addition, Danae Rugola was named Second-Team All-Horizon League for the second consecutive season and Titita Loudtragulngam earned second-team all-league honors in her debut season as Penguin. Loudtragulngam was named Horizon League Golfer of the Week on April 13 after earning medalist honors for the first time in her career at the YSU Spring Invitational. Rugola and Madie Smithco were each named to the 2022-23 Horizon League All-Academic Team for their combined performance on the course and in the classroom.

Smithco was named Horizon League Golfer of the Week on March 30 after earning medalist honors for the first time in her career at NKU’s The Julie. Rugola and Smithco were also named to the 2023 College Sports Communicators At-Large Academic All-District Team. Following the 2022-23 campaign, Loudtragulngam, Rugola, Lizzie Saur and Smithco were each named WGCA All-American Scholars. Miklos’ program also received YSU’s Horizon League Raise Your Sights Award with a 3.87 team GPA for the 2022-23 academic year. YSU's 3.87 team GPA ranked as the fourth-highest mark in the nation in 2022-23.

In 2021-22, Miklos guided the Penguins to a tournament victory and a pair of second-place finishes. Youngstown State won the YSU Spring Invitational by seven strokes on April 15 with a single-round team score of 317. The Penguins also finished second at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational and the Nevel Meade Collegiate. Youngstown State finished fifth at the 2022 Horizon League Championships with a three-round total of 933. Puthita Khuanrudee finished tied for second place with a three-round score of 227 (74-79-74) to earn a spot on the Horizon League All-Tournament Team for the second straight season. Danae Rugola finished tied for 10th with a three-round 232 (81-78-73).

Khuanrudee was named First-Team All-Horizon League for the second straight season and for the third time in her career. She became just the fourth player in school history to earn first-team all-league honors three times. In addition, Rugola was named Second-Team All-Horizon League after averaging a team-best 76.1 strokes per round with a low round of 68 and competing in all 12 tournaments and 28 rounds. Rugola was also named to the 2021-22 Horizon League All-Academic Team.

Miklos was named Horizon League Coach of the Year in 2020-21 after guiding the Penguins to a school record-tying five tournament wins including a dominating victory at the Horizon League Championships. YSU earned its fourth league crown in program history with a league-record three-round team total of 893. The Penguins shattered the previous league 54-hole scoring record by an impressive 27 strokes. After posting scores of 296 and 302 in the first two rounds, the Penguins fired a final-round 295 to pull away for a 15-stroke victory over runner-up IUPUI. The Penguins and Jaguars were tied for the lead heading into the final round of play.

Katlyn Shutt earned medalist honors with a school and league-record three-round score of 208 (67-73-68). Shutt earned medalist honors at the league meet for the second time in her career, becoming just the third player in Horizon League history to win the event multiple times. Shutt carded a four-under-par 68 in the final round to pull away for a dominating 11-stroke victory. After setting the league single-round scoring record with a five-under-par 67 in the first round, Shutt now owns the two lowest rounds in Horizon League Championships history. With her first-place finish, Shutt was named to the Horizon League All-Tournament Team for the third time in her career. Puthita Khuanrudee joined Shutt on the Horizon League All-Tournament Team by finishing third with a three-round 221 (75-74-72).

Miklos coached Shutt and Khuanrudee to First-Team All-Horizon League honors in 2020-21, and Shutt was named Horizon League Golfer of the Year. She became the fifth player in program history, and the second coached by Miklos, to be named Horizon League Golfer of the Year. Shutt averaged 74.1 strokes per round to break her own school record for single-season scoring average of 74.3.

With their victory at the 2021 Horizon League Championships, the Penguins earned an automatic berth in the NCAA Regionals for the second time in program history. YSU finished 17th in the NCAA Columbus Regional at The Ohio State University Golf Club's Scarlet Course. Shutt finished the event with a three-round total of 229 (74-78-77) to tie for 45th. The performance marks the highest finish for a Penguin at the NCAA Regionals in program history.

The Penguins won the 2015 Horizon League title by 11 shots over Oakland, the first for the school since 2009. In a memorable final push, the Guins led by just one shot through nine holes on the final round. The Penguins were 10 shots better on the back nine to pull away from the Golden Grizzlies.

All five golfers in the YSU lineup placed in the top 13 with Emily Dixon rallying from eight shots back on the final day to earn medalist honors. Allison Mitzel placed third, Aislynn Merling was fifth, Emily Rohanna came in 12th and Courtney Shutt placed 13th at the HL meet.

YSU appeared at the NCAA South Bend Regional at the challenging Warren Golf Course in their NCAA debut. The regional featured 13 ranked teams out of the 18 schools that participated. It was the first NCAA Regional appearance in the program's history.

It was a great year from start to finish for YSU in 2014-15. The Penguins won four tournaments and placed in the top five in 11 of the 13 it participated in. YSU won the Roseann Schwartz Invitational (September), the Clarion Fall Invitational (September), the Bulldog Florida Invitational (March) and the Horizon League Championships (April). YSU had three different golfers win six tournaments. Dixon led the way with three, Merling won a pair and Mitzel added one.

In 2015-16, Dixon had one of the best individual years in school history. The Horizon League Golfer of the Year, she finished second at the conference championships. Dixon led the team with a strokes-per-round average of 75.5. That mark was a school record by 1.5 strokes per round at the time it was set. She finished in the top eight in nine of the 12 events on the year.

Freshman Gabby Minor was named the Horizon League Freshman of the Year and was a second-team all-league honoree. Minor was joined on the second team by Shutt. YSU won two tournaments and two duals during the season. The Guins also had a pair of runner-up finishes. At the conference meet, the Penguins placed third.

In 2016-17, the Penguins finished second at the HL meet just three shots behind Cleveland State. Freshman Katlyn Shutt led the way with a Horizon League and school-record 217 to win by six shots. As a group, the Guins had three golfers finish in the top eight. Miklos was named co-Horizon League Coach of the Year while Reva Morris was a tabbed the Freshman of the Year.

In 2017-18, YSU won a pair of tournaments in the spring and finished third in another. Courtney Shutt was named First-Team All-Horizon League, and both she and Megan Creager earned All-Academic honors. Katlyn Shutt led the Penguins at the Horizon League Championships with a sixth-place finish.

In 2018-19, Miklos was named Horizon League Coach of the Year after guiding the Penguins to one of the best statistical seasons in program history. The team rewrote the program's record books by setting a multitude of school records including lowest 18-hole, 36-hole and 54-hole performance. Miklos also coached YSU to four tournament victories for the third time in his tenure. It marked just the fifth time in school history that the Penguins won at least four events in a season.

A school-record four Penguins earned All-Horizon League honors in 2018-19. Katlyn Shutt and Puthita Khuanrudee were each named First-Team All-Horizon League, and Khuanrudee was named Freshman of the Year. Freshmen Victoria Grans and Rattika Sittigool were each named Second-Team All-Horizon League. It was just the third time in Horizon League history that a team had four players receive all-league honors. It was also the first time in league history that a team had three freshmen garner postseason recognition. In addition, Megan Creager was named to the league's all-academic team for the second straight year.

Shutt enjoyed one of the best individual seasons in program history in 2018-19. She earned medalist honors at two different events and set new program records for lowest 18-hole (64), 36-hole (132) and 54-hole performance (213). She also set a new single-season school record with a strokes-per-round average of 74.3. Shutt capped off her historic campaign by finishing tied for second at the Horizon League Championships. She was named to the Horizon League All-Tournament Team for the second time in her career.

In 2019-20, the Penguins won the Roseann Schwartz Invitational for the second straight season and had two golfers earn medalist honors before the campaign was ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. YSU won its annual home tournament, the Roseann Schwartz Invitational, by a dominating 36 strokes as Grans and Khuanrudee shared medalist honors. Khuanrudee also claimed medalist honors at the Benbow Invitational. She averaged an impressive 75.3 strokes per round, which ranks as the fourth-lowest single-season scoring average in school history.

In his first year in the program in 2013-14, the Penguins placed third at the Horizon League Championships with strong first and third-round efforts. Merling finished second with a three-round total of 230, just two strokes behind the event medalist. Dixon was the first and second round individual leader before placing eighth. Merling excelled in Miklos's first year and earned first-team All-Horizon League honors for the first time in her career.

YSU is the third different program he has worked with in the Horizon League with previous stops at Cleveland State and Loyola. In 2004, he led the Ramblers' women's program to the Horizon League title. Before coming to YSU, he spent four-plus seasons as an assistant coach for both the men's and women's programs at Cleveland State. He was the head coach of the Ramblers from 2003-05 and was named the Horizon League's co-coach of the year in 2004.

At Cleveland State, the Vikings men's program won league championships in 2008, 2009 and 2011 while the women were second in 2009. After not being with the program for two years, he assisted both teams at the 2013 Horizon League Championships helping the women place third. He spent all four-plus years with Viking Coach Steve Weir, a three-time Men's Horizon League Coach of the Year.

Miklos joined the CSU staff after serving as an assistant golf coach at Shawnee High School in Lima, Ohio, from 2005-07. He also served as the Assistant Golf Professional at Shawnee Country Club from 2006-07.

In two seasons at Loyola, he guided the program to a first and third-place finish at the league championships. In 2004, Loyola beat Butler by one shot for the title. In 2005, they were third behind Butler and YSU. The program had five all-league and five all-tournament picks in his three years. He shared the 2004 Coach-of-the-Year Award with Butler's Steve Jones.

The 2005 Ramblers squad was recognized by the National Golf Coaches Association for having one of the top-25 grade-point averages in college golf with one student-athlete earning a spot on the Division I All-American Scholar Team in 2005.

Miklos also had a one-year stint (2002-03) as the assistant men's and women's golf coach at his alma mater, Grove City College. He helped lead the women's team to the conference championship as the team set a new conference scoring record (587), as two players placed in the top-five.

As a golfer at Grove City, he led the Wolverines to a pair of conference championships and was named the conference MVP in 2001. A two-time team captain, Miklos earned first-team all-conference accolades for three seasons and second team honors once.

Miklos earned his PGA membership in 2009 and is a Class A PGA Professional. In 2020, he became a PGA Specialized Professional in Teaching and Coaching. Miklos is also Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) Level 1 Certified.

Miklos graduated from Grove City in 2002 with a Bachelor's of Art and also earned his Master's of Sport Science in 2005 from the United States Sports Academy in Daphne, Ala.

He resides in Hermitage with his wife, Heidi, and their daughter, Ava.

More about Coach Miklos:

Why I chose/coach at YSU: Almost ever since I got into coaching, YSU had been my dream job. Having the opportunity to coach at a D1 program that's so close to home was and continues to be my dream job.

Best thing about being a Penguin coach: The support of the Penguin family. I couldn't ask for a more supportive administration.

My golf/coaching superstitions are: I always get food from my favorite Italian restaurant, Combine Brothers in Hermitage, before any big event.

Person I would love to play a round of golf with: Phil Mickelson- have always been a big fan of his.

Greatest sports moment: Winning the 2015 Horizon League Championship here and earning YSU's first ever trip to the NCAA Regionals.

Best career competitive round: Firing 68 (-2) to win my first collegiate event.

Hobbies: Reading, running, working out, spending time with family.

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Event: Women's Golf versus Roseann Schwartz Invitational on Aug 31, 2026

Upcoming Event: Women's Golf at Penn State Nittany Lion Invitational on Sep 7, 2026

Upcoming Event: Women's Golf at Penn State Nittany Lion Invitational on Sep 8, 2026

Upcoming Event: Women's Golf at Michigan State Mary Fossum Invitational on Sep 20, 2026

Upcoming Event: Women's Golf at Michigan State Mary Fossum Invitational on Sep 21, 2026

Results

Completed Event: Women's Golf at Horizon League Championship on April 27, 2026 , , 2nd/7

Completed Event: Women's Golf at Horizon League Championship on April 26, 2026 ,

Completed Event: Women's Golf at Horizon League Championship on April 25, 2026 ,

Completed Event: Women's Golf at Therese Hession Buckeye Invitational on April 18, 2026 , , 12th/14

Completed Event: Women's Golf at Therese Hession Buckeye Invitational on April 17, 2026 ,

2026-27 Women's Golf Coaching Staff

Coaching Staff

Footer