Fan of the week: Sara Elliiot

Sara Elliot, a Mercer graduate student, is a dedicated and loyal fan of a number of Mercer’s sports teams. She has been involved and interested in Mercer athletics for over seven years. From taking road trips all over the southeast to see Mercer teams play to cheering them on at any home event, it is safe to say that Elliot loves the Mercer Bears.

Elliot attended Mercer as undergrad and was a member of the Mercer Women’s Soccer Team. After graduating, she moved on to become the graduate assistant for the team. She is currently finishing her master’s degree while assistant coaching the team.

Born and raised in Atlanta, Elliot attended Woodward Academy, where she played softball, soccer and basketball starting at the age of four. She continue to play all three sports all the way through high school. Although she enjoyed both softball and basketball, she chose to pursue her collegiate athletic career in soccer.  When offered a spot to play at Mercer, she jumped at the opportunity and has been in Macon ever since.

During her time as a Mercer athlete, the team won a regular season championship and a conference championship. In 2010, she helped put her team in the NCAA tournament. Elliot has many wonderful memories as a Mercer soccer player, but she has one that continues to stick out in her mind.

“My favorite memory is definitely beating Kennesaw State 1-0 in overtime with five seconds left during the 2010 regular season,” said Elliot. “It earned us a bye in the first round of the Atlantic Sun Tournament.”

Her passion and love for sports is evident through her endless support of many Mercer sports teams. She makes an effort to support and keep track of all Mercer athletics. Elliot’s involvement in Mercer athletics is something that she takes very seriously.

Elliot admits that she does not enjoy professional sports and that her passion lies in college athletics.

“I have no ties to professional sports and never got into the professional sports scene,” said Elliot. “I grew up watching college sports team, specifically Georgia Tech, and professional sports have never appealed to me.”

Elliot loves all of the Mercer sports teams, but she has a few that stand out to her.

“I like men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball the best here at Mercer,” said Elliot.

Elliot will often be found watching whatever Mercer sporting event is taking place on her phone or on her computer. She knows the results of every contest and is dedicated to keeping up with the performances of all Mercer sports teams.

While she has memories of her own, Elliot also has favorite memories of memorable wins by other Mercer teams.

“When first asked this question, my immediate thought was in 2009 when the Mercer Men’s Soccer team beat UNF in the Atlantic Sun semi-finals 3-0 in Jacksonville. Eight of my teammates and I drove down and painted up ‘Go Bears!’ for the game. It was really exciting. The away games are a lot of fun,” said Elliot. “Anytime I have the chance to catch a Mercer game on the road, I do. In 2012, I went and watched the baseball team play at Mississippi State in the NCAA Regional Tournament. They ended up losing, but it was fun. More recently, I traveled to watch the volleyball team play in Chattanooga. They won the game in five sets. It is, so far, my favorite Mercer game this year.”

Elliot is also looking forward to basketball season. She enjoys the luxury of watching an indoor sport, especially now, because it is getting cold out. She is also looking forward to spring sports. She loves baseball but finds softball more exciting because it is more fast paced and does not take as long.

Her passion for Mercer sports in evident as she is often seen wearing gear from numerous sports teams. She is rarely seen not wearing Mercer orange. You can find Elliot at most sporting events proudly cheering on the Mercer Bears!