Gannon University Athletics

After serving as the women's golf coach for nine seasons a year Scott Stano was named Gannon's Director of Golf and assumed the men's golf coaching responsibilities, as well.  He now enters his second second overseeing the men's golf program and his 11th in charge of the women's golf program in 2025-26.

Last year turned out to be a momentous season for both the men's and women's golf teams. Stano directed the Gannon women's golf program to an unprecedented sixth straight PSAC Championship, his seventh overall in ten seasons. Meanwhile, the men's team won its first-ever PSAC crown.

For his efforts Stano was selected as both the PSAC Men's and Women's Golf Coach of the Year. he became the first coach to win both awards in the same year. 

On the men's side, Stano led the Golden Knights to seven tournament titles along with a second and three thirds in 13 total tournaments.That included a tie for first place in the NCAA Div. II Atlantic/East Regional. The Golden Knights qualified for the NCAA Div. II National Championships for the fourth time in the last five years.

Honors poured in for a number of Golden Knights. In addition to Stano earning PSAC Coach of the Year recognition  Mattia Parrini was the named the PSAC Men's Golf Athlete of the Year. he was joined on the All-PSAC first team by Giovanni Delorenzi and Rasmus Seppanen while Elijah Ruppert earned a spot on the second team.

Parrini and Seppanen would go on to earn honorable mention PING Division II All-American honors after previously earning PING All-Atlantic Region accolades. Delorenzi was a third Golden Knight named to the All-Region squad.  

Stano has now been named the PSAC Women's Golf Coach of the Year three straight years, six of the last seven years, and seven times overall. He has now been named the Coach of the Year in 2016-17, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25.

All told the Golden Knights won three tournaments, including the PSAC Championship by 20 strokes over West Chester. They also had three second-place showings. 

Gannon swept the PSAC women's postseason awards with Ditte Petersen named the PSAC Women's Golf Athlete of the Year for the third straight year and Alexandria LeCureux voted the Freshman of the Year.  Four Golden Knights were named to the All-PSAC teams. Petersen, LeCureux and Cloe Mateo were accorded first team honors while Andrea Martinez was a second team pick.

Petersen became just the second PSAC women's golfer to win a major award four times and the first to earn a major award all four years of her career. This marks the fifth straight year a Golden Knight has claimed Golfer of the Year honors. In addition, a Gannon golfer has now been named the Freshman of the Year for six straight years.

In addition to their prowess on the links the Golden Knights excelled in the classroom. The women's team compiled a 3.506 cumulative GPA while the men's team was at (3.457).

On July 31, 2023, Gannon promoted Stano to Director of Golf. In his expanded role, Stano oversees operational aspects of the Gannon women's and men's golf programs and conduct various instructional sessions, including camps and clinics, to serve the Erie area community. 

In 2023-24 the Gannon women's golf team won its fifth straight PSAC Championship by an amazing 70 strokes in the 54-hole event. Petersen claimed Gannon's fourth consecutive PSAC individual championship by recording a three-stroke victory for her second consecutive individual title. Gannon claimed three of the top fives pots as freshman Cloe Mateo placed second, and Andrea Martinez finished fifth. Sarah White tied for 10th. 

Petersen was named PSAC Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive year, making it four years in a row for Gannon. White had claimed the honor the two previous years. Mateo, Martinez, and White joined Petersen on the All-PSAC First Team. McClain made the Second Team for the second straight season. Mateo was selected as the PSAC Freshman of the Year, marking the fifth year in a row a Gannon golfer had won that award. McClain, Petersen, White, and Maria Arenas had won the previous four years, respectively.

Petersen was named to the WGCA All-East Region Team, and she earned a spot on the CSC Academic All-American Second Team.

Gannon won six tournament titles in 2022-23, including its fourth PSAC team title in a row. Petersen claimed her first PSAC championship as Gannon won by 34 strokes in the rain-shortened, 36-hole event. White (three) and Petersen (two) combined for five individual titles.

In 2021-22, the Golden Knights won the PSAC title by 42 strokes as all five Golden Knights placed among the top 10. White won the PSAC individual title by overcoming a five-shot deficit with a third-round 77 to finish at 22-over-par 238. That marked the second year in a row that a Gannon golfer had won the title. 

Petersen (tied for second), Maestro (fifth), Maria Arenas (tied for sixth), and Martinez (10th) also placed among the top 10 in the PSAC tournament.

White also extended her own run of individual honors when she was named PSAC Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive season. Meanwhile, Petersen continued another Gannon streak. She became the third consecutive PSAC Freshman of the Year. White was the top freshman in 2020-21, and Arenas claimed top honors in 2019-20. White and Petersen were named All-PSAC First Team in 2021-22, while Arenas and Maestro were on the Second Team. Eight of the golfers also were PSAC Scholar Athletes.

During his tenure, Stano has coached the Golden Knights to 26 tournament team titles and 23 individual titles. Also, three players have been named PSAC Athlete of the Year (Diana Munoz, White twice, Petersen) and four players (Munoz, Arenas, White, and Petersen) have won the individual PSAC Championship.

The PSAC victory was one of five tournament wins for Stano’s team in 2021-22. Gannon also claimed titles in the Charleston Invitational, Klash in Kentucky, Mercyhurst Spring Invitational, and Gannon Spring Invitational. The Golden Knights were the runners-up in Gannon’s Michael Corbett Fall Classic and the Browngolf Intercollegiate, and placed third in the Evann Parker Memorial.

Gannon capped the season with a 12th-place performance in the NCAA Division II East Regional.

In 2020-21, the Knights won their fifth PSAC championship in program history in thrilling fashion by edging Mercyhurst on a playoff hole. Gannon then wrapped up the season by advancing to the NCAA East Regional where it registered a seventh-place finish, the highest in program history. Maria Arenas became the Knights' third PSAC individual champion with a one-stroke victory.

White was then named PSAC Freshman of the Year and Athlete of the Year.  The Golden Knights also grabbed three all-conference awards as White and Arenas were named to the All-PSAC First Team, while Madison Gardner earned Second Team honors.

Gannon claimed the PSAC championship in 2019-20 when all five golfers again finished inside the top 10. Four golfers made All-PSAC, including three on the First Team. The Golden Knights also posted wins at the Evann Parker Memorial and Glade Springs Intercollegiate. 

In 2018-19, Stano led the Knights to a runner-up finish at the PSAC Championships and claimed a team title at the Mercyhurst Spring Invitational. Three Knights earned All-PSAC honors, and Stano won his first of three straight PSAC Coach of the Year awards.

Stano led Gannon to a trio of top-three finishes during the 2017-18 regular season, and Manuela Quevedo earned All-PSAC honors.

Gannon opened the 2016-17 campaign with consecutive team championships at the Evann Parker Memorial, Michael Corbett Fall Classic, Le Moyne Invitational, and Allegheny Invitational. In all, the Knights won five of the six fall events, including their third PSAC Championship in program history. The squad added titles at the Battle at the Bay and Mercyhurst Spring Invitational during the spring semester.

Led by Diana Munoz and Manuela Quevedo, Gannon made its first NCAA Tournament team appearance since 2011. Stano claimed PSAC Women’s Golf Coach of the Year after leading Gannon to a school-record seven tournament wins and six individual titles.

In Stano’s debut season in 2015-16, Munoz became the first golfer in program history to receive an individual bid to the regional championships. Stano’s team won titles at the Clarion Invitational and Ohio Valley Invitational, and the Knights captured four individual titles.

Stano was familiar to Gannon in several aspects upon his arrival. In addition to being the brother of Gannon softball head coach Michelle Wiley, Stano had spent time during the previous three years as an assistant in the Gannon Sports Information Office. He was part of game management for football, soccer, baseball, and softball events. Stano also spent time as a marketing and promotions intern with the Erie Bayhawks of the NBA D-League in 2012-13.

Stano was a four-year varsity letterwinner for the Thiel (Pa.) College track and field team from 2008-11, competing in the javelin. He was named a team captain as a senior.

Stano graduated from Thiel in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in mass media communication.

-- Updated July 29, 2025
 

Stano Year-By-Year Results