Graduating Student-Athlete Profile: Sarah Golas

5/16/2022 11:00:00 AM

Leading up to Daemen University's commencement ceremonies this weekend, daemenwildcats.com is profiling several student-athletes who have completed their academic coursework and/or athletic eligibility.

Sarah Golas has been a four-year member of the Daemen cross country/track and field program. During her career, she appeared in 18 cross country meets and 29 track and field meets. She set personal records for the 5K and 6K in the final two cross country meets of her career, including her 19:15.8 time at the 2021 East Coast Conference Cross Country Championships where she placed 11th, earning Second Team All-ECC honors. Golas was also a First Team All-ECC performer in 2021 for outdoor track and field after placing second in the 10,000 meters at the conference championship meet.

SG: Bachelor's in Visual Arts Education with a Minor in Art History
SG: My favorite memory is when we won the Paul Short Run at Lehigh as a team for cross country. We all worked so hard and were rewarded with a trophy and got to take pictures in the infield. The whole trip was a great memory.
SG: A lot has changed in terms of coaching, team members and training since I first started. So at first, I was intimidated and was upset that I was not performing as well as when I was in high school. However, now with Coach Pete, I would be very excited if I was a freshman coming in. The team culture is supportive and enthusiastic and I have really improved as an athlete.
SG: My life for the past four years has been about running with a team every single day. I will miss having permanent running buddies and having to run mostly on my own from now on.

SG: My most meaningful accomplishment would be getting my PR of 19:06 for outdoor track in the 5K. All four years I have been trying to break my lifetime PR's and I finally did my senior year in both cross country and now outdoor track.
SG: The most influential person to me has been Coach Judy. She has been with me and supported me for all four years at Daemen. She never stopped believing in me no matter what and was always there for me whenever I needED help. Coach Judy is a strong person who has overcome a lot in her life and no matter what she always had a smile on her face. I strive to become a great runner, mom, and friend just like her.
SG: After I graduate, I am getting married this June so I am very excited for that milestone. I plan on trying to find an art teacher position for the upcoming school year. I do plan on getting my Master's eventually, but would rather find a permanent teaching position before applying for that.
SG: My biggest advice is to never give up. Your freshman year will always be the hardest because it is such a big adjustment from high school. However, even though there are hard parts of being a student-athlete, I never regretted it for a second. Never stop trying to get personal records, never stop running with your heart and never give up.

Daemen University features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 18 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.

Follow the Daemen cross country/track & field program on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @DaemenXCTF.

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