Loyola University New Orleans golfer Sarah Meral earned her first career Southern States Athletic Conference Women’s Golfer of the Week award after a stellar performance at the St. Thomas University Fall Invitational.

Meral captured the individual medalist title, finishing one stroke ahead of the field with a two-round score of 148. Her consistent play helped propel the Wolf Pack to a strong team finish, marking one of the biggest highlights of her collegiate career so far.

“It honestly felt amazing,” Meral said. “Winning my first medalist title and being recognized with the SSAC weekly award was really special because it reflects all the hard work I’ve put in this season. I’ve been focused on staying consistent and trusting my game, so to see it pay off like that was really rewarding. I am also really grateful for my supportive coach and teammates around me that pushed me to do my best.”

Throughout the tournament, Meral relied on her mental discipline to handle difficult playing conditions. 

“I just kept a steady mindset and reminded myself to stay patient because we were playing in some tough conditions,” she said. “Instead of looking at the leaderboard, I told myself to take each hole one at a time. One adjustment I made during this tournament was my putting, which ended up helping me make birdies.”

With momentum on her side, Meral is already setting her sights on what’s next. 

“My goals moving forward are to keep working hard to help my team win some tournaments in the spring,” she said. “I’m hoping to help my team win the conference title this year and qualify for nationals. My personal goal is to stay consistent and keep putting myself in positions for success.”