Northwest Wayne News

Wayne State University has announced the addition of three new members to its women's golf team for the 2024-25 season. The recruits include Eastern Michigan transfer Sophia Wygonik, and freshmen Ting Ting Kuo and Claudia Portillo Navas.

Ting Ting Kuo, a graduate of Taipei Municipal Zhong-zheng Senior High School in Taiwan, played under coach Yi-Chen Liu. She competed as an amateur in several LPGA events in Taiwan, including the 2020 YiCHEN Future Open (T52), the 2020 Party Golfers Ladies Open (T56), and the 2021 Taiwan Mobile Ladies Open (T59). Kuo also achieved notable placements at other tournaments such as second place at the Golfweek-Elite event at Northstar and first place at the Callaway/Meier junior tour. She plans to major in Business Marketing.

Claudia Portillo Navas hails from Madrid, Spain, where she played for coaches Miguel Carrasco and Freddy Lilly. Ranked No. 372 in the European Golf Rankings, she competes for La Moraleja Golf Club. Her recent achievements include finishing ninth at the 2024 Spanish Closed U18 Championships and third at the 2023 Sergio Garcia Junior Championship. Portillo Navas plans to major in Economics.

Sophia Wygonik joins Wayne State after four seasons with Eastern Michigan's women's golf team. During her tenure there, she competed in numerous tournaments with an average score of around 80 across various seasons. Notable performances include a tied-for-eighth finish at the Akron Invitational during her freshman year and consistent participation in MAC Championships throughout her collegiate career. Wygonik plans to major in Accounting.

Coach Larry Hamilton expressed optimism about these additions: "We are excited to welcome Sophia, Ting Ting, and Claudia to our program."