By Marissa Masano / The Jambar
Seeking individual and team honors, the Youngstown State University men’s and women’s golf teams wrapped up the spring season at the Horizon League Golf Championships April 19-21 in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida.
For the women’s side, sophomore Neeranuch Prajunpanich claimed individual medalist honors, leading the Penguins to a runner-up finish. After placing second as a freshman, Prajunpanich returned this season to capture the Horizon League crown.
The Thailand native capped off the 2024-25 season with five first-place finishes, tying the school record for most wins in a single campaign. She also became YSU’s first individual league champion since former Penguin Katlyn Shutt’s victory at the 2021 Horizon League Tournament.
Prajunpanich opened the tournament with a first-round 78, placing her in a tie for sixth alongside freshman teammate Valentina Peña Anaya. She surged to the top of the leaderboard in round two, carding a two-under-par 71 that featured three birdies, 14 pars and just one bogey.
In the final round, Prajunpanich shot an even-par 73 to finish with a three-round total of 222. The next highest finishers for the Penguins were senior Lizzie Saur and junior Maddi Shoults, who each posted a 237 to tie for seventh place.
As a team, the Penguins were locked in a close battle with Purdue University Fort Wayne. Both teams recorded identical scores of 313 in round one. On Day Two, YSU posted a team score of 625 — just one stroke behind the Mastodons’ 624 heading into the final round.
Oakland University emerged as a contender on Day Two, carding a tournament-best team round of 301 to move into third place, just three strokes behind YSU and PFW.
Oakland’s final-round team score of 299 was enough to climb the leaderboard and secure the Horizon League team title for the second-straight year. The Golden Grizzlies finished with a three-round total of 927.
For the second-consecutive season, YSU finished as the team runner-up. The team finished just two shots behind Oakland, recording a three-round total of 929.
The men’s side finished seventh with a three-round team total of 910. Leading the way was junior Ryan Sam, who placed ninth individually with a total score of 222. Sophomore Jake Ryan followed closely, finishing 13th with a three-round total of 225.
The Penguins posted a final-round score of 292 — 17 strokes better than each of their first two rounds of the championship. The strong finish allowed them to climb the leaderboard and surpass both the University of Detroit Mercy and Purdue Fort Wayne on the final day.
YSU finished just one stroke behind the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, which recorded a three-round team total of 909.
Wright State University claimed the men’s team title with a total score of 881 over three rounds. Sophomore Titus Boswell of Indiana University Indianapolis earned the individual title with a 5-under-par 211.
