Since assuming the reins of the Toledo women’s golf program as its initial full-time head coach in 2003, Nicole Hollingsworth has developed the Rockets into one of the top programs in the Mid-American Conference. UT can be expected to appear annually in the top third of the leaderboard at the year-end MAC Championship.
“Our goal each season is to be one of the top teams in the MAC,” Hollingsworth said. “We’ve developed a training program that involves a lot of hard work. Our players have really bought into that, because they can see the results we’ve achieved.”
A Clinton, Ind. native, Hollingsworth has guided the Rockets to 31 tournament and 15 individual titles during her tenure over the last 14-and-a-half years. More importantly, UT has finished in the top half of the MAC in 10 of 14 Hollingsworth’s seasons at the helm. In the last six years, the Rockets have taken their play to a higher level with a third-place finish in 2012 and 2015, a second-place tie in 2013 and runner-up showings in 2014 and 2016.
Hollingsworth has been rewarded for that success by being tabbed the MAC Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2016 by her peers.
2017 (Fall)
Juniors Pinyada Kuvanun and Pimchanok Kawil propelled the Rockets to a solid fall against a schedule filled with top-flight competition. Each dropped their stroke average from a year ago by more than a stroke with Kuvanun edging Kawil by a 73.7-73.1 margin. The Rockets registered their best finish ever at Michigan State’s Mary Fossum Invitational with a runner-up showing. Kawil and Kuvanun produced their best tournaments by placing third and tying for fourth at Kentucky’s Bettie Lou Evans Invitational.
2016-17
Sophomores Pimchanok Kawil and Pinyada Kuvanun earned second-team All-MAC accolades. Kuvanun led the Rockets with a 74.9 stroke average in her first exposure to collegiate golf. She posted a team-best four Top Five and eight Top 10 showings, including a pair of second-place ties. Kawil notched a 75.6 scoring mark and tied the school record with a five-under par 67 at the Golfweek Conference Challenge.
2015-16
Senior Sathika Ruenreong capped off her record-setting collegiate career by becoming the first Rocket ever to compete in the NCAA Division I regionals. The lone multiple first-team All-MAC recipient in program history, Ruenreong was honored for a fourth time after breaking her own school record with a 73.8 stroke average. She leaves UT with a program-best 74.9 career mark and her four individual titles are tied for most in school history.
Ruenreong, along with classmates Manisa Isavas and Morgan Salm, led the Rockets to the lowest team stroke average in school history and a school-record five tournament titles. Toledo nearly qualified for the NCAA Championships as a team but finished just four strokes behind national power Kent State.
2014-15
Juniors Sathika Ruenreong and Manisa Isavas were named to the conference’s first- and second-teams, respectively, for the second straight year. The Rockets’ only three-time first-team All-MAC honoree, Ruenreong tied the school record for most individual titles in a season by earning medalist honors at the Rocket Classic and the FGCU Eagle Invite. She also nearly broke her own school record for lowest stroke average for a season with her mark of 74.72 finishing just shy of her 74.50 mark in the 2013-14 campaign.
2013-14
A pair of Rockets were named to the all-conference squad with sophomores Sathika Ruenreong and Manisa Isavas being named to the first- and second-teams, respectively. The Rockets’ first two-time first-team All-MAC honoree, Ruenreong shattered UT’s school record with a 74.5 stroke average, over one stroke better than the previous mark held by Tammy Clelland (75.7 in 2005-06).
The Rockets also set a school record with a 302.1 scoring mark, more than four strokes in front of the 2005-06 squad’s 306.2 figure. Toledo also tied its school record with four tournament titles.
2012-13
Toledo tied for second place at the MAC Championship to match the Rockets’ best showing in school history. Freshman Sathika Ruenreong propelled UT to that runner-up finish by placing second to cap off a MAC Freshman of Year campaign that saw her register a team-best 76.7 stroke average and earn first-team All-MAC honors. Joining Ruenreong as an all-league recipient was junior Kate Hoops, who earned a spot on the second-team All-MAC squad.
2011-12
Hollingsworth guided a young squad which entered the season with just one returning starter to a third-place standing at the MAC Championship. Senior Piyathida Chaiyapan paced the Rockets with a 76.7 stroke average to earn second-team All-MAC honors. Chaiyapan also registered UT’s best showing ever at the MAC Championship by tying for first place before losing in a playoff.
2010-11
Two of the top golfers in school history graduated as Erica Rivard and Michelle Hui concluded their careers with 78.2 and 78.4 stroke averages to finish second and fourth in the UT record books, respectively.
2009-10
Toledo finished the campaign with a school-record five golfers registering a stroke average under 80. Hui topped the Rockets with a 77.4 mark to earn second-team All-MAC accolades and help UT capture a pair of tournament titles.
2008-09
Three tournament victories and two individual medalist honors highlighted the campaign. Freshman Georgina Hunt and Hui each posted playoff wins in back-to-back tournaments for their first collegiate victories. Boram Lee capped off the season by earning second-team all-conference and MAC Sportswoman of the Year honors.
2007-08
The Rockets posted a third-place finish in the MAC Championship, where UT tallied its best score ever in the event with a 296 in the final round. Senior Joanna Periversoff capped off her career with a fourth-place finish to equal the best showing by a UT golfer (at the time) at the MAC Championship in program history.
2006-07
Toledo registered victories at the Baja Invitational in Ensenada, Mexico and Bowling Green’s Falcon Invitational. The Rockets also set a school record for lowest 18-hole round and tied the school mark for the best 54-hole total at the Rio Verde Invitational. On an individual basis, seniors Kim Kester and Natalie Storck received second-team All-MAC accolades.
2005-06
Toledo posted one of the best seasons in school history in 2005-06, culminating with a second-place finish at the MAC Championship. UT captured four tournament titles, posted a second-place finish on four other occasions and had three all-conference honorees for the second time in school history.
Sophomore Tammy Clelland earned first-team All-MAC honors, while juniors Kim Kester and Natalie Storck received second-team All-MAC accolades. Storck also was named the MAC Sportswoman of the Year and to the MAC All-Academic Team.
As a team, UT set new marks for lowest 18-hole score (293), 54-hole score (892) and team stroke average (306.2) and tied the record for most victories (4) and individual medalists (3). UT also received its highest national ranking ever at No. 43 by Golfweek Magazine.
Clelland set or tied five school records including lowest 18-hole score (68), 54-hole score (214) and stroke average (75.65).
2004-05
UT registered its third-lowest season stroke average ever and finished in the Top 10 in 11 of its 12 tournaments.
Freshman Katie Myos established a then-school record for lowest 18-hole score (69) and tied the record at the time for best 54-hole total (225). Sophomore Natalie Storck earned first-team All-MAC honors and finished just one stroke shy of tying Sara Boogaard for the best season stroke average in school history.
2003-04
Toledo set three team and six individual records, including lowest 18-hole (295) and lowest 36-hole (602) team scores as well as lowest season team stroke average (313.86).
On an individual basis, senior Sara Boogaard set school records for lowest season stroke average (77.5) and most career rounds played (113), while senior Breanne Hall established new marks for lowest career stroke average (78.1), as well as most rounds under 80 in a season (24) and a career (56).
Boogaard received first-team All-MAC honors as well as MAC Sportswoman of the Year, while Hall earned second-team All-MAC accolades for the third straight season.
A HEAD COACH FROM DAY ONE
Prior to coming to Toledo, Hollingsworth coached three seasons at Ohio University (1996-99) and three at the University of Kansas (1999-2002).
In her first career coaching stint at Ohio, Hollingsworth was the youngest coach in the country at age 24 when she started its program from scratch. In her three years with the Bobcats, her teams registered 19 top-10 finishes and improved the team scoring average by nearly 16 strokes.
In Hollingsworth’s three years at Kansas, the Jayhawks registered 14 top-10 team finishes and landed a pair of top 100 recruits in 2002.
MAKING ACADEMICS A PRIORITY
In 20 seasons at Ohio, Kansas and Toledo, Hollingsworth has produced 45 NGCA All-American Scholars (including seven last year) and has coached teams that registered team GPAs above 3.0 in all but one semester. The Rockets have posted the athletic department’s highest GPA on five occasions, including a school-record 3.780 mark in Spring 2017.
LIFE AS A COLLEGIAN
A 1995 Indiana University graduate with a degree in public policy, Hollingsworth was a member of the Hoosiers’ golf team for three years and helped IU capture the Big Ten conference title as well as finish fifth in the NCAA Championships as a senior. She received the team’s Mental Attitude award on two occasions and became a member of IU’s athletic Alpha Beta Honorary in 1995.
Hollingsworth proceeded to earn her master’s degree in physical education in 1998 during her coaching tenure at Ohio University.
Full Name: Nicole Jon Hollingsworth
Hometown: Clinton, Ind.
Birthdate: December 3, 1971
Year at Toledo: 15th year
Education
B.S. in public policy with concentration in management and certificate in labor studies from Indiana University (1995);
M.S. in physical education with concentration in athletic administration from Ohio University (1998)
Coaching Experience
2003-present Head Coach, University of Toledo
1999-2002 Head Coach, University of Kansas
1996-1999 Head Coach, Ohio University
Playing Experience
1992-95 Indiana University
Honors
IU Golf Mental Attitude Award, 1994 & 1995
IU Golf Letterwinner, 1994 & 1995
Member of Big Ten Conference Champions, 1995
Member of fifth-place NCAA Championship team, 1995
