Youngstown State senior golfer Katlyn Shutt has been named the 2020-21 Horizon League Women's Golfer of the Year, and she joined teammate Puthita Khuanrudee in earning first-team all-league accolades. The teams were voted on by the league's head coaches and announced on Friday.
Youngstown State was the only school to have two players named First-Team All-Horizon League. It marks the sixth time in program history that the Penguins have had multiple players named First-Team All-Horizon League. It also marks the third time under Head Coach Nate Miklos that YSU has had multiple all-league honorees. The Penguins have now had a player earn first-team all-league honors each of the last 14 times that all-league awards have been handed out.
Shutt becomes the fifth player in program history to be named Horizon League Golfer of the Year. She joins Gina Abruzzino (2004), Katie Rogner (2008), Samantha Formeck (2009, 2010) and Emily Dixon (2016). The Dover, Ohio, native earns First-Team All-Horizon League honors for the second time in her career. She also claimed first-team all-league honors as a junior in 2018-19. Shutt is one of eight players in program history to earn first-team all-league accolades multiple times. She joins Emily Dixon as the second Penguin to earn Golfer-of-the-Year honors under Miklos.
Shutt earned medalist honors to lead the Penguins to their fourth Horizon League championship on Tuesday. The senior finished with a school and league-record three-round score of 208 (67-73-68) at the league championships to earn a dominating 11-stroke victory. Shutt set the league championships single-round scoring record with a five-under-par 67 in the first round on Sunday. Her first-round 67 marked her season low and is tied for the second lowest round in program history. After a final-round 68, she now owns the two lowest rounds in Horizon League Championships history. She also owns five of the seven lowest rounds in school history. Shutt became just the third player in Horizon League history to win the event multiple times. She also won medalist honors at the league meet as a freshman in 2016-17. Shutt set a program and Horizon League record with her three-round total of 208. She broke her own league championships record of 217 and her own school record of 213. Shutt was named to the Horizon League All-Tournament Team for the third time in her career. She also tied for second at the league meet as a junior in 2018-19.
"I couldn't be happier for Katlyn," said Miklos. "She has had an unbelievable career at YSU and she saved the best golf of her career for the Horizon League Championships to lead the way to our conference title. We have had some unbelievable players in the conference and Katlyn is among the very best of them. I'm excited to see what she can do at Regionals."
Shutt has earned two tournament wins and five top-10 finishes in 2020-21. She is averaging 73.7 strokes per round, which is on pace to break her own school record for single-round scoring average of 74.3. In addition to her victory at the Horizon League Championships, Shutt earned medalist honors with a single-round score of 70 (-1) to lead the Penguins to a dual victory over Cleveland State on April 17. For her performance, she was named Horizon League Women's Golfer of the Week on April 22. She finished fourth in YSU's victory at the Nevel Meade Collegiate with a three-round score of 219 (73-72-74). Shutt tied for fourth in YSU's dual victory over Charleston Southern with a single-round 77. She also tied for ninth at the Low Country Intercollegiate with a two-round 147 (74-73). Shutt was YSU's top finisher on a team-high four occasions this season.
Khuanrudee earns First-Team All-Horizon League honors for the second time her career. She earned first-team honors and was named Horizon League Freshman of the Year in 2018-19. She joins Shutt as one of eight players in school history to be named First-Team All-Horizon League multiple times. The junior has earned one tournament victory and four top-five finishes with a low round of 71 in 2020-21. She is averaging a career-best 74.1 strokes per round, which is on pace to rank as the second-lowest scoring average in program history.
Khuanrudee finished third at the Horizon League Championships on Tuesday to help lead the Penguins to their fourth league title. She fired a three-round score of 221 (75-74-72) to earn a spot on the Horizon League All-Tournament Team. Khuanrudee earned medalist honors with a single-round score of 72 in YSU's dual victory over St. Francis (Pa.) on March 27. She tied for second place in YSU's victory at the Nevel Meade Collegiate with a career-best three-round score of 218 (71-76-71). The junior tied for fourth in YSU's dual victory over Charleston Southern with a single-round 77. She also tied for 18th at the Low Country Intercollegiate with a two-round total of 150 (78-72). Khuanrudee was YSU's top finisher on three occasions this season.
"Puthita has had a fantastic season and I'm very excited for her to receive this honor," said Miklos. "Her play at the Horizon League Championships was unbelievable considering she was fighting an injury."
Youngstown State will compete at the NCAA Columbus Regional at The Ohio State University Golf Club's Scarlet Course on May 10-12. It marks the program's second appearance in the NCAA Regionals.
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