Former Rochelle Township High School golf standout Megan Thiravong had a special supporter in her corner as she competed alongside her Saginaw Valley State University teammates in the 54-hole William Beall Fall Classic hosted at the esteemed Findlay Country Club this past fall.
In what was ultimately her strongest tournament showing of her freshman season with the Cardinals, Thiravong carded back-to-back 77s through the first 36 holes before capping off the two-day event with 73 over her final 18 holes. Thiravong’s 227 was not only the best score on the team, but it landed her in 15th overall and tied a school record for the lowest 54-hole score.
“That was the defining moment of my freshman season, especially considering that it was raining pretty heavily,” Thiravong said. “What helped me push through that tournament was having my heavenly Nana Jet there. She was definitely my best cheerleader and I wore her special pin during the tournament. It was an amazing moment to highlight my freshman year.”
Thiravong made her collegiate debut at the ODU Champions of Women’s Golf Classic in September, shooting 163 over 36 holes to tie for 15th overall and help lead SVSU to third place in the tournament. The former Lady Hub student-athlete made nine starts for the Cardinals during her freshman season, competing in six fall tournaments and three spring tournaments.
“The collegiate golf experience has been very eye-opening to me,” Thiravong said. “Playing with the boys at RTHS definitely helped me increase my distance and accuracy in preparation for college. My freshman season was really a blur and it went by really fast. Our coaches have worked with us on minimizing risk and I feel like my shots into the greens improved a lot during the fall season. My putting has really improved and my short game has gone to the next level.”
A four-time state qualifier in high school, Thiravong said her goals for next season are to help her team advance beyond the NCAA Division II Regional Series, which was where the Cardinals saw their 2021-22 season conclude earlier this year. Thiravong, who will serve as president for the Society of Women Engineers at SVSU this coming year, is currently studying mechanical engineering and hopes to pursue an internship and future career in the workplace.
“Transitioning from high school athletics to collegiate athletics has really emphasized time management,” Thiravong said. “We have workouts very early in the morning and because I’m living very far from my parents, I’ve had to step up and put more effort into managing my time. We’ve traveled quite a bit and it’s been a great experience having the opportunity to visit so many different places. I’ve seen nearly half of the United States since I started playing here.”
This news is republished from another source. You can check the original article here