Staff Directory
- Title:
- Assistant Women's Golf Coach
Former Youngstown State women's golfer Ann Ciavarella is in her eighth season overall as an assistant coach for the Penguins in 2026-27.
Ciavarella began her third stint working as an assistant alongside YSU head coach Nate Miklos in August 2026. She most recently served at her alma mater from 2020-22 after spending two-plus seasons as the head coach of the men's and women's golf programs at Notre Dame College. Ciavarella also worked as an assistant for Miklos at Youngstown State from 2013-17.
Ciavarella has been a part of three Horizon League Championships at YSU, one as a player and two as a coach. She was a member of the team that captured the league crown in 2009, and she helped coach the Penguins to their most recent titles in 2015 and in 2021.
Ciavarella helped Miklos earn Horizon League Coach of the Year honors in 2020-21 after the pair guided 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 was named to the Horizon League All-Tournament Team for the third time in her career while Puthita Khuanrudee joined her on the All-Tournament Team by finishing third with a three-round total of 221 (75-74-72).
Ciavarella helped coach 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 to be named Horizon League Golfer of the Year.
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.
In 2016-17, the Penguins finished second at the HL meet just three shots behind Cleveland State. Katlyn Shutt led the way with a Horizon League and school-record three-round score of 217 to earn medalist honors by six shots as a true freshman. As a group, the Guins had three golfers finish in the top eight individually. Miklos was named co-Horizon League Coach of the Year while Reva Morris was a tabbed the HL Freshman of the Year.
In 2015-16, Ciavarella helped coach Emily Dixon to one of the best individual seasons in school history. The 2016 Horizon League Golfer of the Year, Dixon finished second at the conference championship. 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 all-league second team by Courtney Shutt.
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 during 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.
Youngstown State appeared at the NCAA South Bend Regional at the challenging Warren Golf Course in the program’s NCAA debut. The regional featured 13 ranked teams out of the 18 schools that participated. It was the first NCAA Regional appearance in YSU’s history.
Ciavarella was a four-year letterwinner for the Penguins from 2006-10. She appeared in two Horizon League Championships for the Guins, placing 12th in 2009 and 20th in 2010. During her four-year career, Ciavarella competed in 27 tournaments and 67 rounds. She was also a member of SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee).
During her playing career at YSU, she lowered her strokes per round average by nine from her freshman year to her junior season. Of her 27 career tournaments, 19 came during her final two seasons with the Penguins, and she averaged a career-best 83.2 strokes per round as a senior in 2009-10.
The Kent, Ohio, native graduated from Youngstown State in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in business.
A graduate of Walsh Jesuit High School, Ciavarella was a three-time participant in the Ohio State High School Championships. Walsh Jesuit won the state championship in 2004 during her junior season.
An LPGA Class A Professional and a PGA apprentice, Ciavarella has worked on the staff at Windmill Lakes Golf Club in Ravenna, Ohio. She also previously served as a three-year professional at Candywood Golf Club in Vienna, Ohio.
