Nov. 14, 2017
University Park, Pa. - The Penn State women's golf team added to their already talented roster this past week, signing new recruit Sarah Willis (Eaton, Ohio). Willis will be joining the Nittany Lions on the course next fall.
The current roster holds only one senior, Ariana Coyle Diez (Dublin, Ireland) while the other nine players are set to return next season. The roster, which was predominantly underclassmen just two years ago, will include mostly upperclassmen with four rising seniors and three rising juniors in 2018-19.
Willis, a senior out of Eaton High School in Eaton, Ohio, is ranked 213th out of 2,978 players in the Polo golf rankings and holds the 96th slot in the 2018 class comprised of 852 players.
Willis has become arguably the most decorated women's golfer in the state of Ohio over the past two seasons by winning back-to-back Ohio High School State Championships, division two, in 2016 and 2017.
In 2016, Willis beat out 70 other players firing back-to-back 68's to win the Championship at 4-under par (136). This performance broke the Ohio All-Division two-day state scoring record. In 2017 Willis shot 72-67 (1-under) on her way to her second consecutive State Championship breaking the one-day scoring record with her second-round 67 (3-under).
She dominated at the 2017 Ohio Junior Girls Championship finishing first in the 72-player field. Her two other top three finishes came at the AJGA Under Armour/Scott Stallings Championship and the Golf Week Junior Tour where she placed second and third, respectively.
Going against some of the best juniors in the country, Willis topped 84 players in the 144-player field to finish in 60th place at the 42nd Junior Girls PGA Championship in 2017. She also competed at the USGA Girls Junior Amateur Championship in 2017, placing 64th out of 156.
"We are very excited about Sarah joining our team next fall," said Head Coach Denise St. Pierre, "She is a strong competitor with much success on the junior level. She will be an impact player right away."
Willis Makes History