Student-Athlete Check In: Sarah Willis – Penn State Women's Golf
As the events of early March unfolded and changed all over the country, Penn State student-athletes found themselves facing uncertainty and transition in their academic and athletic realities.
The Penn State women's golf team was three tournaments into the Spring season and just over a month away from the Big Ten Championship when the COVID-19 pandemic erupted. As the entire Penn State family works for ways to stay connected, we can check in with some members of head coach Denise St. Pierre's team to get some insight into how typical student-athletes reacted, adjusted and began the process of forging ahead in our current circumstance.
Today we check in with sophomore Sarah Willis (Eaton, Ohio). Willis had a strong freshman campaign in 2018-19 and collected a pair of top-10 finishes along with the only top-5 finish for the Nittany Lions in 2019-20 ranking second on the team with a 73.57 stroke average over 21 rounds of competition.
Sarah took the time to answer some questions from GoPSUsports and offers some good insight into the daily life of a Nittany Lion during this time:
GoPSU: What was your first reaction when you heard that the remainder of the season was cancelled, where were you and who were you with?
Willis: "My first reaction was shock and disbelief. I didn't even think it was possible to cancel an entire season for all sports and divisions of college athletics. When I found out through twitter, I was on campus in my room packing to leave with my team for North Carolina the next day still thinking about competing and preparing for our upcoming events. I immediately got on a group call with my whole team and we were trying to sort through all the confusion, at that point the only information we had was from social media posts made by the NCAA and the Big Ten. We were still hopeful that it was a temporary cancellation until we heard from our coach and she announced that the rest of our events and trips had been cancelled and that we needed to leave campus as soon as possible."
GoPSU: How have you been adapting to online learning?
Willis: "Adapting to online learning has been difficult but manageable. The first week of remote classes was definitely the hardest because of the lack of preparation on both ends. My professors weren't accustomed to online and I wasn't accustomed to learning online. It took a few days for us to figure out what was actually going to work and what was just going to end up as a distraction and would hinder our learning in the long run. I have to stay very up to date with my classes because everything changes so quickly. I write down all my assignments in my reminders on my phone and check my emails and canvas frequently to make sure I am not missing anything. It's been stressful, especially my group projects, but I have to make it work."
GoPSU: Athletes are by nature focused on staying healthy, what have you been doing to keep fit, active and energized?
Willis: "I have been learning to cook healthy meals for my family which has been pretty fun. I also take my dogs on walks everyday. To keep in shape I've been working out at home, doing yoga, and going on runs. Getting out of my house and being outside, even for just a walk or a run, has really helped me stay energized and positive during this crazy time."
GoPSU: What has your family been doing together during this extended period of social distancing? Any family activities, etc.?
Willis: "My competitive family and I have been having some pretty intense game nights recently. It's been a lot of fun, we've gotten really into Scrabble, Uno, and Euchre. We are also watching Ozark together on Netflix. Such a good show I highly recommend!"
GoPSU: What is the one thing you miss most right now about not being back at Penn State?
Willis: "I miss my people at Penn State the most. I have amazing friends, teammates, coaches, and professors that support me in so many different ways and it's hard to stay motivated without them sometimes. I'm doing my best to stay in contact with everyone but it's just not the same as being there in person."
GoPSU: How have you been keeping in contact with your teammates?
Willis: "I can honestly say my teammates are my best friends, so we are constantly messaging each other, snapchatting, sharing funny TikToks, and sending memes on Instagram. We FaceTime regularly and we have an Apple Watch exercise competition going on right now too! We do our best to motivate each other from afar and we are planning a Netflix Party very soon."
GoPSU: What is your favorite non-golf related memory from this past year at Penn State?
Willis: "My favorite non golf related memory from this past year at Penn State was Thon Athlete Hour. Our team set up a bracelet making station and I had so much fun with all the Thon Kids and families. The bracelets were such a great activity because I really got to know the families and the kids got to take something home too! One little girl in particular, Shiloh, was absolutely adorable and was making bracelets for us to keep. I had a great time and I can't wait to do it again next year."
GoPSU: Why did you choose Penn State and what would you tell someone who is considering attending Penn State?
Willis: "I chose Penn State because it felt like home, which is crazy because I live six and a half hours away. I love how even though it is a huge university when you're on campus it doesn't feel like that because the school is very compact and beautiful at the same time. I love how much school pride everyone has and how Penn State pride transforms into everyone feeling like family. I would tell someone considering Penn State that you will not find another University in the world that can give you this many connections and give you such a huge extended family."
GoPSU: What is your favorite club to hit in your bag and why? Best club in your bag and why?
Willis: "My putter is my favorite club in my bag because when I'm putting well that's when I shoot my lowest scores. My best club in my bag is my driver because it's very consistent and it's super fun to hit."
GoPSU: What is your par-5 mindset, aggressive or safe and why?
Willis: "My par five mindset is intellectually aggressive. I go for it in two if it makes sense to me and there isn't a large amount of risk, but if it doesn't make sense I lay up to a yardage I like for my third shot and then I go for the birdie."
GoPSU: Most improved part of your game since arriving at Penn State and what are you looking on improving for next season?
Willis: "The most improved part of my game since coming to Penn State is my wedge play from 110 yards and in. For next season I'm working on improving my chipping around the greens so I can get up and down from just about anywhere."
GoPSU: What was it about golf that interested you and when did you begin playing?
Willis: "I started playing golf when I was seven because I loved competing in anything and everything. My dad and brother had been playing their whole lives and when my brother started winning tournaments I decided I wanted to win just like him."
