Sanaa Carter admitted that she didn’t know what to expect when she arrived at North Carolina Central University, but the former Jacksonville High School standout was quick to credit her golf teammates for a smooth transition.

“I had really good teammates who made it a fun and great experience,” Carter said. “My first year of college was better than I expected. Going to a HBCU, I wanted to experience the culture and enjoy being around people who look like me.

“Having a DJ in the cafeteria and everybody line dancing in the middle was amazing to see, and experiencing things like Homecoming, football and basketball games really made me enjoy my school.”

The 18-year-old Carter also enjoyed her freshman season for the women’s golf team as she also pursues a degree in Business Management.

Recently, Carter placed second in the PGA Works Collegiate Championships at The Park at West Palm in Florda.

The PGA Works, formerly known as the National Minority College Championship, hosts golfers from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions and other minority serving institutions.

Carter credited her putting game for her finishing at 73-76-75–224, one stroke behind Texas Southern’s Thaiz Amezcua. Carter became North Carolina Central’s highest finisher in the event.

“It definitely meant a lot,” Carter said. “Just a couple of years ago, I was sitting on my couch watching the PGA Works on TV. So for me to play well in that moment is pretty surreal. When our team got there and we saw all the signs and camera people, I was like ‘Wow, I am about to be a part of it.’”

Carter and other golfers also visited The SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, site of TGL matches.

“There was also a career orientation where they showed PGA golf management programs and had set ups inside with different companies and simulators,” Carter said. “It was a pretty amazing experience.”

The PGA Works tournament capped a strong first collegiate season for Carter.

Carter was named to the All-Northeast Conference team and the NEC All-Tournament team after she finished sixth in the conference tournament. Her efforts helped the Eagles place third as a team.

Carter is just the second North Carolina Central golfer to earn all-conference honors. She ended with a 76.8 scoring average.

Carter was also named the conference’s Newcomer of the Year and named North Carolina Central’s team Most Valuable Player.

“I still had the same goals in mind coming into my freshman year. I wanted to win the conference championship and play well in the PGA Works,” Carter said. “I didn’t win the conference, but I did walk away with a high finish. I was able to get the hang of things, and being a freshman, I was able to show that I could hang with the other girls.”

Carter again credited her teammates.

“Luckily, I already knew some of them before I got to campus from previous tournaments,” she said. “We were familiar with each other. We were all pretty close and they were my best friends on campus.”

Carter entered her freshman season having won the NCHSAA state championship as a senior in the 2024 season following three consecutive runner-up finishes. She was the first high school golfer to win an individual state title in Onslow County history.

“Coming into college, they already knew my accomplishments, but I wanted to show that they weren’t a fluke,” Carter said. “I was consistent. I would say it was the SAS Championship (HBCU Invitational in Cary in October) when I came in third was when I got going.”

And Carter doesn’t plan on stopping.

“I would really like to work on my wedge game more,” she said. “I need to keep working.”

Chris Miller can be contacted via email at cmiller@jdnews.com. Follow him on X @jdnsports.