MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Southern States Athletic Conference announced the 2026 SSAC Women's Golf Scholar-Athlete Team and Scholar-Athlete of the Year, with UT Southern's Iona Pollitt earning recognition among the conference's top student-athletes.
Pollitt continued her standout season by earning a spot on the 2026 SSAC Women's Golf Scholar-Athlete Team after excelling both academically and competitively for the Firehawks. The senior from San Fulgencio, Spain, posted a 3.83 GPA while also earning First-Team All-Conference honors during the 2026 campaign.
Pollitt additionally qualified individually for the 2026 NAIA Women's Golf National Championship, marking the third consecutive season she has earned a spot in the national championship field and continuing an impressive postseason run for the Firehawks' standout golfer.
Dalton State's Jia Kataria was named the 2026 SSAC Women's Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year after the junior finance and applied economics major posted a 3.74 GPA. Kataria also captured the individual title at the 2026 SSAC Women's Golf Championship and became a two-time SSAC Player of the Year.
2026 SSAC Women's Golf Scholar-Athlete Team
- Catherine Singletary, Loyola
- Jia Kataria, Dalton State*
- Tara Phipps, Dalton State
- Gracie Bloom, William Carey
- Iona Pollitt, UT Southern
- Sarah Meral, Loyola
- Aiden Haithcock, William Carey
Additional Notes
- Singletary (4.0 / 3.92), Phipps (3.9), Pollitt (3.83), and Bloom (3.80) led the GPA list among the honorees
- All seven selections also earned All-Conference honors
- To be eligible, student-athletes must be a sophomore or above in both academic and athletic standing, must be starters or important reserves, maintain at least a 3.3 cumulative GPA, and compete in at least 50 percent of competitions
- Graduate students and transfers must have completed one semester at their institution before eligibility.
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