Nick Swaney is in his fifth season (2026-27) as head women's golf coach at Wayne State College.
The 2025-26 season saw more "firsts" for Wildcat women's golf as WSC captured their first-ever Northern Sun Conference Championship, rallying from seven shots down to defeat Minnesota State 926-931 for the conference title. WSC also advanced to the NCAA Central Region Championships for a second straight year. For the third time in the last four years, WSC set a new single season scoring average (312.89) and captured three tournament wins - Nebraska Intercollegiate Invite, Sioux Falls Invite and NSIC Championship. Swaney was also voted NSIC Coach of the Year while WSC had three players receive All-NSIC honors - Gaia Stancikova (First Team), Hailey Kenkel (Second Team) and Erica Lee (Second Team).
The Wildcat program reached new heights in the 2024-25 season under Swaney, winning three tournaments while advancing to the NCAA Central Regional for the first time in program history. The 'Cats posted tournament wins at the Sioux Falls Invite, Winona State Vegas Warrior Invite and the Wildcat Classic. Among several new school records set by the Wildcats this season were single season team scoring average of 313.12, bettering the previous school record (319.62 in 2022-23) by 5.5 strokes.
For the first time ever, WSC women's golf earned NCAA Central Region rankings and following a third-place finish at the NSIC Women's Golf Championships the Wildcats earned an at-large bid and qualified for the NCAA Division II National Championships (Central Regional) for the first time in program history. Freshman Gaia Stancikova set a new single season scoring average record (77.38) and became the first player since re-instatement of the program to earn All-NSIC First Team honors. Senior Abbigail Brodersen and freshman Camryn Johnson both received All-NSIC Second Team accolades.
In the 2023-24 season, Wayne State posted a fourth-place finish at the NSIC Women's Golf Championships in Missouri. WSC had a pair of second-place tournament finishes at the Nebraska Intercollegiate Invite and the Wildcat Classic. The 'Cats team scoring average of 323.21 was the second-lowest in school history. Senior Jazmine Taylor earned All-NSIC Second Team honors.
Under Swaney in the 2022-23 season, the Wildcat women's golf program placed third at the NSIC Championships and set a new school record with a team scoring average of 319.62, a 4.5 stroke improvement from the previous school record set in the 2021-22 campaign. The Wildcats won two tournaments under Swaney - the Nebraska Intercollegiate Invite for a second straight year and the SMSU Spring Invite in Arizona.
WSC had three All-NSIC selections under Swaney in 2022-23 as junior Jazmine Taylor, sophomore Abbigail Brodersen and freshman Saffire Sayre each received All-NSIC Second Team honors.
Swaney came to Wayne State after serving as head men’s golf coach at Midland University for 13 years (2010-22). He coached the Warriors to the GPAC runner up finish last season (2021-22) and was selected Hauff Sports GPAC Men’s Golf Coach of the Year. Swaney has led the Midland men’s golf team to a top five finish in the GPAC Championships every year since 2013, including the 2014 GPAC Men’s Championship and a trip to the NAIA National Tournament where the Warriors placed 22nd overall, the highest national finish in program history.
Swaney’s players at Midland also excelled in the classroom leading NAIA in Scholar Athletes in 2017, 2018 and 2019. While at Midland Swaney also served as assistant athletic director for five years.
Prior to coaching at Midland, Swaney served as the inaugural and only men’s golf coach at Dana College in Blair from 2009-10.
Swaney is a graduate of Nebraska-Kearney where he played collegiate golf from 2003-07. He earned a bachelor’s degree from UNK in business administration and later obtained a master’s degree in organizational development from Upper Iowa in 2014.
Updated 7/15/26
