Sarah Tranelli was a dual-athlete at Penfield High School in New York, where she played golf and basketball, but she chose to play golf collegiately.
For Tranelli, choosing between playing basketball or golf collegiately was less difficult than deciding which school to attend.
“I wanted to major in broadcast journalism, and I heard of the Scripps school,” said Tranelli. “So I sent in my video to the coach here, and then soon heard back from her. I kept in contact with her and came down for a visit in the fall of my senior year.”
Like many who visit Ohio’s campus, Tranelli fell in love at first sight, but the feeling of Ohio being a home took a while to kick in.
Coming from New York made for a tough transition, but with a great group of teammates, Tranelli got settled in the fall before being in the lineup regularly during the spring.
“Being from that far away definitely made me homesick for the first few weeks. That is where my teammates and coaches came in, they really helped me establish a schedule and a routine,” Tranelli said.
During her sophomore year, she played in all but one tournament for the Bobcats. She also set a pair of career-low 18-hole scores in back-to-back tournaments, including her most memorable tournament at Penn State, when she got to play in front of her family. The invite was the closest home event for Tranelli.
During her junior and senior years, Tranelli began to take a leadership role on the team.
“I always consider myself a leader in a group, but when I was a freshman I could only do so much, but during my last two years I really did start to take that role,” Tranelli said. “I got to help out with recruiting, which I really enjoyed, because I was on the other side four years ago.”
Coach Kelly Ovington echoes Tranelli’s efforts to show what the program meant to her.
“(Tranelli) is definitely leaving a huge imprint in this program, both in her attitude and her leadership ability, both on and off the course,” said Ovington. “She bleeds green, I knew that right when she walked through the door.”
Tranelli said her years have gone by fast, and on the way back from a recent tournament at Eastern Kentucky, she had a moment that made her appreciate everything she’s been able to do in the last four years.
“EKU was our best finish in the last 13 years as a program. So, on the way home, everyone was laughing, and we were singing along to the music in the car,” Tranelli said. “I turned around and it really hit me, this has just been an incredible four years. For me to see how happy my teammates were, and to be a part of it was pretty awesome.”
Tranelli will graduate after this semester with a degree in broadcast journalism and believes Ohio has equipped her with skills that will help after college.
ab109410@ohiou.edu
