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Byron, Carlson, Petri & Kalb Female Athlete Of Month: McGivney State Golf Champion Sarah Hyten Signs With Florida Gulf Coast

Following her state championship win, Sarah Hyten commits to FGCU to join the Eagles golf program and continue her athletic journey in Florida.

Colin Feeney, Contributing Sports Writer

Oct 30, 2025 2:57 PM

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GLEN CARBON - Sarah Hyten recently won the IHSA Class 1A individual golf championship for Father McGivney Catholic, beating out Avery Arendale of Columbia by a shot, firing a two-over par 146 at Red Tail Run Golf Course in Decatur. On Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, she signed a letter of intent to attend Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Fla., to play golf for the Eagles in a ceremony held at the Griffins Den student lounge.

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Hyten is a Byron, Carlson, Petri & Kalb Female Athlete of the Month for the Griffins.

The state championship was a great climax to her high school career in golf, and in a post-ceremony interview, Hyten was very happy with how things turned out, in both the state tournament and her decision to play for FGCU.

"It's really, really an honor for me to be able to be the first state winner for the McGivney golf program," Hyten said. "I'm so proud of how far I've come, and all the help that's gotten me here has been really great."

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Her decision to attend FGCU was aided by the head coach, Shannon Sykora, and the members of the team.

"I really loved the coach," Hyten said, "I love the area, and when I met the girls on the team, they were all super-nice. It's my best option, and I'm super happy with my decision."

Hyten also considered Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Ky., and East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., but FGCU was always her first choice. She plans on majoring in exercise science, and hasn't made a decision about pursuing golf after graduating from college.

"I'm not sure yet," Hyten said. "I'm kind of going to see where it takes me."

Outside of winning the state championship, Hyten's favorite memory of playing for the Griffins was in her sophomore year, when McGivney qualified for the state tournament as a team.

"I would say my sophomore year," Hyten said, "when our whole, entire team made it to state. It was really awesome to have the team there, together, and we were all playing together that time at state. It was really amazing."