×

Springfield duo steps up when it matters most

File photo by Jeremy Behnke Springfield’s Mackenzie Lothert was named the 2018 All-Journal Co-Player of the Year.

SPRINGFIELD — Makenna Winkelmann and Mackenzie Lothert both had new roles for this coming season.

After the Tigers lost Callie Wersal and Jena Roiger to graduation, so it was time for someone to step up an assume the leadership role. Winkelmann and Lothert answered and helped lead the Tigers to yet another state tournament appearance.

Lothert finished 14th at the state tournament with a 176 and Winkelman was right behind her, finishing 15th with a 180. Both players were selected as All-Journal Co-Players of the Year.

“Coming into the season, being on the team for so long, [coach Dillon Schultz] kind of total me that you’re going to be a leader this year and you need to act like a leader on and off the team,” Winkelmann said. “I guess for me, it was a change because last year I looked up to our seniors and this year we had one girl [Lothert] who was a junior, so I wanted to wanted to live up to what Dillon wanted me to do.”

She did just that. Schultz said that she and Lothert played a key role in helping the Tigers get back to state. Schultz said she was the team’s vocal leader and she was also the team’s most consistent player.

Winkelmann said she became more comfortable with the leadership role as the season went along.

“I think it was something I embraced,” she said. “I guess it just made me more aware of the example I needed to set for not just our team, but for playing with other girls in our conference and our section.”

Winkelmann’s finish at the state tournament was strong. But the competitor in her still means she wasn’t completely satisfied.

“It feels okay, I’m not going to say it feels great because I thought I could do a little bit better, but I think for me it was a really big improvement from last year so I’m happy with it,” she said.

Lothert, on the other hand, improved quite a bit from her sophomore year. She worked on her game throughout the offseason and it became almost difficult at times to get on the course. But the hard work paid off with her 14th-place finish on the state’s biggest stage. She said that she was even a bit surprised by her finish at state.

“Honestly, I came into this season knowing that I put in the work and was just hoping for the results that I got,” she said. “I was able to keep my head on straight and plug through for the entire season.”

She said she hit for hours and worked on the little things that were holding her back.

“I would just go to the range and just hit over and over and over,” she said. “I was just trying to fix what I was having problems with and that’s a big thing in golf, being able to fix what you’re doing wrong out on the course instead of letting you hurt you over and over again.”

Next year, things will be different in Springfield. The numbers are way down in the girls’ program and that will more than likely end the Tigers’ streak of state tournament appearances, which is four straight. In fact, Lothert may be the only girls player on the team, barring some younger players coming out for the sport.

“The end of the season was a really bittersweet moment, because the girls that I was with, even graduating three seniors from [2017], this is the group of girls that brought me into the game and they made me enjoy the game. Losing them all is a huge part of golf, it makes me sad but that’s life.”

For Lothert, a Top 10 finish next year is a goal. While it may seem tough, she knows she’s capable of it with hard work.

“I’d like to say nothing is impossible and that’s of course the goal,” Lothert said. “I think what I have to work on is just being consistent, there’s a lot of shots that I can shave just from not hitting the ball well. I just have work on focusing and being consistent next year and I think that I’ll be able to walk off the green the last time and be happy with my performance.”

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper?
   

Starting at $4.38/week.

Subscribe Today