CEDAR CITY, UTAH -- As Southern Utah University prepares for its return to the Big Sky Conference, few programs can match the history of success the Thunderbird men's and women's golf teams built during their previous time in the league.

Over the years, SUU golfers consistently found themselves atop conference leaderboards, collecting championships, postseason appearances, and individual honors while establishing the Thunderbirds as one of the Big Sky's premier golf programs.

Director of Golf Richard Church said

"We are looking forward to being back in the Big Sky Conference. There is quality competition throughout the league and it will be nice to get back and have some more success."

The women's program produced some of the most decorated golfers in conference history, led by Chanikan "Pleum" Youngyuan. From the moment she arrived in Cedar City, Youngyuan made an immediate impact, earning Big Sky Freshman of the Year honors in 2019 before collecting First Team All-Conference recognition in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

Her success extended well beyond conference play. Youngyuan advanced to NCAA Regionals in both 2019 and 2022, earned six career tournament victories, and was ranked No. 1 in the NCAA at the start of the 2020-21 season. She capped her Big Sky career with a fourth-place finish at the 2022 Big Sky Championship and left an even larger mark on the conference record book, setting the all-time Big Sky record with 13 career Player of the Week awards.

Youngyuan's achievements continued a tradition of excellence established by previous Thunderbird standouts. Kamonwan "Poy" Prasurtwong earned Big Sky Freshman of the Year honors and First Team All-Conference recognition in 2017. Before her, Taylor Viquelia was named the 2016 Big Sky Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference selection, while Monica Jung earned First Team All-Conference honors in 2014 and Sadie Palmer received the same distinction in 2013.

The men's program enjoyed a similarly dominant run, highlighted by one of the greatest careers in conference history from Jake Vincent.

Vincent earned First Team All-Conference honors in four consecutive seasons from 2018 through 2021 after being named Third Team All-Conference in 2017. His rise culminated in back-to-back Big Sky Player of the Year awards in 2020 and 2021. He claimed the 2019 Big Sky individual championship, advanced to NCAA Regionals in both 2019 and 2021, and added a runner-up finish at the 2021 Big Sky Championship.

Alongside Vincent, Fidel Castro helped elevate the Thunderbirds into perennial conference contenders. Castro earned First Team All-Conference honors in 2016, 2017, and 2018 after receiving Second Team recognition in 2015. He advanced to NCAA Regionals in 2017 and came agonizingly close to a conference title in 2018, tying for first at the Big Sky Championship before falling in a playoff for the individual crown.

Another standout from SUU's championship era, Nic Booth, earned First Team All-Conference honors in 2015 and helped establish the standard for future Thunderbird success.

Perhaps the most impressive testament to SUU's impact on the conference came through the consistency of its top players. Vincent and Castro are tied for the most Big Sky Player of the Week awards in conference history with 10 apiece, while Youngyuan's 13 awards remain the conference record on the women's side.

Together, those accomplishments tell the story of a program that did more than compete in the Big Sky—it helped define excellence within it. As Southern Utah returns to the conference, the legacy left by golfers like Youngyuan, Vincent, Castro, and many others serves as a reminder of the championship tradition the Thunderbirds bring back with them.

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