Youngstown State senior women's golfer Emily Dixon was named the Horizon League's Women's Golfer of the Year while Gabby Minor was named the Freshman of the Year, the conference announced at its pre-championship awards banquet on Thursday evening.
Dixon is the fourth Penguin to be named the Golfer of the Year. She joins Samantha Formeck (2010 and 2009), Katie Rogner (2008) and Gina Abruzzino (2004) as Guins to claim the award.
Dixon, who was a first-team all-league selection for the second straight year, won three tournaments and finished first in a dual during her senior season. In her career she set a YSU record by placing first eight times and that was in just three seasons. In the spring, she won the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate on March 20-22. Dixon has finished in the top eight in eight of the 11 events this year. She is averaging a league-best 75.4 strokes per round.
Horizon League Golfers of the Year who went on to claim medalist honors at the same tournament were Butler's Lynnsey Showers (2005), Rogner (2008), Formeck (2009) Butler's Michele Nash (2011) and Detroit's Lindsey Lammers (2014). Dixon won the Horizon League title last April.
Minor is the third YSU golfer to be tabbed the Newcomer/Freshman of the Year. The other two were Formeck (2009) and Rogner (2008).
She ranks second on the team and fifth in the Horizon League averaging 78.9 strokes per round. She is the only freshman in the conference in the top 10 in scoring. Minor has shot 80-or-lower in six of her last seven rounds and had four top-10 finishes on the year.
Minor and sophomore Courtney Shutt were second-team all-league picks.
Shutt has placed in the top 10 on five occasions this year. Last time out she fired a 78 in windy and cold conditions at the Jaguar/Crusader Challenge which was good enough for a second-place finish. In seven of her last 10 rounds she has shot 79 or below. She is third on the squad averaging 79.1 strokes per round.
