--Courtesy of Whittier Athletics--
Name: Sara Chiala
Institution: Whittier College
Year: Junior
Hometown: Los Gatos, Calif.
High School: Los Gatos
Major: Kinesiology (Physical Therapy)
Sara Chiala, Whittier softball's starting right fielder and team deejay, was voted as the NFCA/Rawlings Gold Glove RF representative in her region and one of ten finalists for the
award. While Chiala did not win the Gold Glove, she had an excellent season in the field, recording a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 40 total chances with three outfield assists and
one double play. In two collegiate seasons, the Los Gatos native now has a .967 fielding percentage with five outfield assists.
"Defense to me is super important and honestly super fun," Chiala said. "I want the ball hit to me every play, and I love cheering on my pitcher and the rest of our defense between pitches and
the trust involved that our pitchers are going to hit their spots and that I have their backs. As an outfield, we are the last line of defense. I love when I get the opportunity to make a big play to
get the team fired up."
The consummate teammate, Chiala posted four sacrifice hits this season, along with 11 runs, three doubles, two home runs, seven RBI and five stolen bases, only getting caught once. She
logged a three-game hitting streak from March 12-24, during which she hit .444 with two runs, one home run and three RBI. The right fielder loves competing in the SCIAC "because it's such a competitive conference and the schools are academically among the tops in California."
"I can get a great education from great professors and play the game I love," Chiala said. "There has not been one school in our conference that has dominated, so you just can't relax one week
and expect to win. You have to make every play you can, and you cannot give any free outs. It's a tight conference, and after a few years, you get to know your competitors pretty well, and they
get to know you. You have to make constant adjustments to get better. Southern California has always been known for top level of softball and the SCIAC is a representation of that!"
Chiala played a key role for the Poets in 2023, helping lead her team to the brink of the SCIAC Postseason Tournament, with Whittier holding the fourth and final spot in the tournament with
two series remaining in the SCIAC regular season.
Follow the SCIAC on Twitter (@theSCIAC) and Instagram (@thesciac) with hashtags #SCIACtion and #SoCalSoGood. Watch most SCIAC games, matches, and meets online via mobile devices and on OTT apps - Roku, AppleTV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android - search for 'SCIAC' and download the channel.