The clubs are swinging at full effect for Sonoma State’s Women’s Golf Team as Mia Golovich recently won the CCAA (California Collegiate Athletic Association) Player of the Week Award. At the San Marcos Fujikura Invitational event last week, she finished third overall leading the Sonoma State team. She finished with a tournament-best of eight birdies, 16 pars and was a top CCAA finisher.

From Lake Elsinore, Calif. first-year business major, Golovich is the first female golfer to be named CCAA player of the week for SSU this spring season. Through all of her achievements and hard work from the past, Golovich feels her work is finally paying off.  “Being selected as CCAA golfer of the week felt amazing. It showed that my hard work and countless practices are finally paying off. And to get that award against all the amazing and talented golfers in this league felt amazing.”

At Murrieta Mesa High School, Golovich was a three-sport athlete. She spent four years playing varsity golf and became a two-time MVP, along with being selected First-Team All-League. She spent four years playing varsity basketball, winning an Offensive MVP award and also making First-Team All-league. And she also played two years as a varsity lacrosse player.

Golovich has been golfing all her life and is hoping to one day compete in the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association). She comes from a family of golfers but started playing competitively about four years ago. Despite being a multi-sport athlete, she pursued golf because of her dad and the quality time she would spend with her family on the course. Golf is such a meaningful sport to Golovich as it brings out her competitive side. “Golf means a lot of things to me. It is able to bring out the competitiveness in me. It shows me how the grind and practice will get results. It shows me a lot of things that I can take into my everyday life.”

“I feel great, but for me, it’s more about them just recognizing that they have that ability to earn those kinds of honors and hopefully they look at it and they don’t think it’s a one time deal. I want them to think that they think they can do it again and again,” said Head Coach Val Verhunce on what he hopes his players take away from winning the award.

This year’s Women’s golf team has a ton of talent and is pushing hard to finish strong these last few events. Coach Verhunce mentioned that some of the conversations they are having right now are about how the team can prepare better.

“In my eyes, it’s more about preparation, they’re all really skilled players. Sometimes, I equate it to taking a test, a student can breeze through because they are really prepared, doesn’t mean they are smarter than anybody else, they’re just better prepared. It’s the same with golf, the preparation goes a long long way in your ability to make the opportunity that much more obtainable. To get the results they’re hoping for.”