Yana Wilson, the 2021 Nevada State 5A High School champ while at Coronado, has verbally committed to play her college golf at the University of Oregon. Wilson also grew up playing in the Southern Nevada Junior Golf Association and is the reigning 2022 U.S. Girls Junior champion. She shares a message with her Vegas friends and fans here.
Oregon women’s golf is on the rise nationally and is the 2022 PAC-12 defending champions and also won an NCAA regional in 2022 before narrowly missing out on a national title. Nike and Phil Knight are huge supporters of Oregon Athletics and Wilson has been supported by Nike since she was 14. The Ducks are led by head coach Derek Radley and assistant Monica Vaughn.
“I just recently committed to Oregon and I’m really excited about going to a school that will build me as a better person and a better golfer,” Wilson said in an exclusive video for LasVegasGolfInsider.com. “Coach D and Coach M have the best values and leadership skills, and I’m really excited. Oregon is a big Nike school, and I’ve been supported by Nike since I was 14 years old, and I look forward to keep repping them throughout my college career. We’re going to have an amazing team, and I just know we’re going to do some incredible things. Also, a quick shout out to all my Vegas supporters. Love you guys. Go ducks.”
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Wilson grew up honing her skills at the Legacy Golf Club in Henderson and has won well more than 100 tournaments in her career (the Insider has lost count …).
Her former Coronado coach Joe Sawaia said this about Wilson during an interview for a recent story.
“She really has no weaknesses and she’s extremely skilled in every part of the game, as far as driving the golf ball or iron play or short game or putting, especially clutch putting,” Sawaia said. “All of that is evident when you watch her play. But she also possesses the intangibles, which not a lot of girls do, especially at her age. In fact, most junior golfers, period, boys or girls, don’t have what she has. She has supreme confidence and she is able to develop a game plan of how she wants to play and how she wants to tackle a golf course. She’s also very patient. She really has it all. I’ve said it before, and I don’t know if it’s fair, but I think she might be the best player I’ve seen in 30 years of boys or girls high school golf to come out of here. She’s amazing.”
With her victory at the US Girls Junior comes an invitation to play in the 2023 US Women’s Open in Pebble Beach. She will also be playing in other top amateur and professional events as she prepares for her career at Oregon. Wilson will officially commit in November 23 and will begin competition in 2024.