Sala McWilliams came to William Smith from West Essex Regional High School in North Caldwell, N.J. As a collegiate student-athlete, she was able to pursue her passion for both field hockey and tennis, competing as a four-year member of both teams.
A defender in field hockey, Sala McWilliams helped William Smith to a 10-3 record and New York State Flight B Championship in 1973. She was selected to appear in the 1974 edition of “Outstanding College Athletes of America.” As a senior, Sala McWilliams served as team captain and earned the field hockey team’s MVP award for a squad that went 8-4-1. During her career, William Smith compiled a 28-13-1 record.
Sala McWilliams enjoyed her most successful season on the tennis courts as a first-year, as William Smith notched an 8-4 record. In her junior year, she had the opportunity to travel to New York City with five other teammates to compete in the NYSAIAW Tennis Tournament at Queens University. William Smith placed eighth out of 20 teams. That year, the tennis team posted a 7-5 overall record. She played at the No. 1 doubles spot and from No. 3 to No. 5 in singles. In her senior season, she served as team captain. William Smith tennis posted a 25-22-1 record in her four years on the squad.
The William Smith tennis team not only competed against their opponents during Sala McWilliams’ career, but they also fought against the weather. She remembers facing intense winds on the HWS tennis courts until the athletic department purchased a wind barrier for the courts. She learned a “two-step serve.” “The wind was so strong at times, you had to take two steps before a serve to be able to hit the ball,” says Sala McWilliams.
Sala McWilliams was a student-athlete at William Smith when Title IX was signed into law. “It has been a long time, but I remember the day I heard the roars of the coaches when I went to Winn-Seely Gym,” she recounted. “I felt that as William Smith student-athletes we had a voice and the opportunity to make a difference in the athletic program at William Smith.”
Sala McWilliams was a dean’s list student, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology and minors in sociology and fine arts. She works in the manufacturing industry at Wilcox-Slidders, Inc., and is an elected member of the Essex Fells Borough Council. Sala McWilliams remained active following graduation by participating in tennis, golf and paddle tennis.
