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YSU women’s golf headed to South Bend
By Joe Scalzo
YOUNGSTOWN
Youngstown State women’s golf coach Nate Miklos knows the secret to succeeding at the NCAA tournament.
Don’t treat it like the NCAA tournament.
“We’re playing the golf course,” said Miklos, who led the Penguins to their first Horizon League title since 2009 in just his second year with the program. “You can’t start worrying about the environment or anything else.
“If we focus on what we have been, we’ll put together three solid rounds.”
YSU is one of 18 teams that will compete at the NCAA regional in South Bend, Ind., from May 7-9. It’s the first NCAA appearance for the Penguins, who earned one of 29 automatic bids by virtue of winning a conference title. (The Horizon League has only had an automatic bid since 2010.)
The South Bend regional is one of four across the country, along with Raleigh, N.C.; San Antonio, Texas; and St. George, Utah. The Penguins must finish among the top six teams in the 54-hole tournament to advance to the NCAA championships, which take place from May 22-27 in Bradenton, Fla.
“It’s great to know all our hard work paid off,” said YSU senior Allison Mitzel, a Poland High graduate who finished tied for third at this weekend’s Horizon League tournament. “It’s an amazing opportunity to play with some of the best teams in the country at regionals.
“It’s a big opportunity for us to get there, but once we’re there, we want to stick with our game plan and focus on what we’ve been doing all year.”
YSU trailed Oakland by one stroke entering the back nine of Sunday’s final round in Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla. From there, the Penguins outscored the Golden Grizzlies by 12 strokes, thanks to a dominant performance by individual medalist Emily Dixon.
Dixon, a junior who transferred to YSU after two seasons with Toledo, shot 4 under over the last nine holes to finish with an even-par 72. She started the day eight strokes behind Oakland’s Morgan Smith and finished one ahead of her.
“I had no idea that I had won when I came in [off the 18th green],” she said. “I didn’t even know I was close. My assistant coach came up to me and said, ‘Stay warmed up. You might have to go to a playoff.’ And I was like, ‘Whoa, what? For second place?’ And she said, ‘No, for first.’ And I was like, ‘Holy crap!’
“It was crazy. I was just overwhelmed with emotions. Positive ones, obviously.”
Even better, Dixon turned 21 on Sunday. When asked if she had any champagne to celebrate, she laughed and said, “Nope. Nothing. Pretty lame, actually.”
YSU discovered its destination at a selection show party at Beeghly Center’s Coaches Court on Monday. Seedings were announced on an hour-long special on the Golf Channel.
The Penguins were hoping to be placed in the South Bend regional, since it will cut down on travel time (next week is finals week) and allow for more family and friends to attend.
“I know they were a big part of the reason we were able to get it done,” Miklos said of the team’s support.
Miklos, a Hermitage, Pa., native, led Loyola to the Horizon League title in 2004 and spent more than four seasons as an assistant coach for Cleveland State’s men’s and women’s golf teams. The Viking men won league titles in 2008, 2009 and 2011.
Miklos succeeded YSU coach Roseann Schwartz, who led the Penguins to their other two Horizon League titles — in 2003 and 2009 — before retiring after the 2013 season. Schwartz had coached the team since the program began in 1996.
“Roseann Schwartz did an incredible job building a program,” Miklos said. “She built an incredible team foundation here and left us in incredible shape for when I took over the program.
“To be able to take the program to the next level with this team has been incredible.”