Youngstown State sophomore Danae Rugola has been named the NikeŽ Horizon League Women's Golfer of the Week, the conference office announced on Thursday.
Rugola fired a four-over-par 76 to lead the Youngstown State women's golf team to a 309-311 dual victory over Charleston Southern on Saturday at Kiawah Island Golf Resort's Oak Point Course in Kiawah Island, S.C. After not competing this past fall due to Horizon League regulations, YSU took the course for the first time since March 10, 2020. The Penguins went 347 days between competitions.
Rugola finished third overall in YSU's season-opening event to claim the third top-10 finish of her career. Her third-place finish also marked the second top-five finish of her career. The Uniontown, Pa., native was also YSU's top finisher for the first time in her young career.
Rugola began her sophomore season with a strong start after enjoying an impressive freshman campaign in 2019-20. Rugola ranked third on the team with a 78.1 scoring average, and she also earned a pair of top-10 finishes while competing in all seven tournaments and 18 rounds. She placed fourth in her collegiate debut at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational with a two-round score of 148 (69-79).
In her first collegiate round, Rugola shot the lowest round ever recorded by a YSU freshman with a three-under-par 69. The performance is tied for the fifth-lowest round in program history, and it is also tied for the fourth-lowest round in relation to par. Rugola's 69 was the lowest round recorded by a Penguin in 2019-20. She became one of only four players in school history to notch a round of below 70.
Youngstown State will resume its spring season Feb. 28-March 2 with the Kiawah Island Classic hosted by College of Charleston at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in Kiawah Island, S.C.
