Thirty-mile-an-hour winds gave all teams at the District V Invitational a run for their money and left Southern finishing fifth out of the 11 teams playing.

“The team wasn’t really pleased with it,” said freshman Nick Marks. “But we gave it what we got.”

The men were only five strokes behind Missouri Western State College. Washburn University finished first followed by Pittsburg State University and Central Missouri State University.

“I think it was a big let down,” said sophomore Andy Koehler. “The general feeling of the team is that we played poorly.”

The five men representing Southern at the Invitational were seniors Mickey Carpenter Kyle Long and Tug Baker; sophomore Danny Sinksen; and Marks. Koehler went with the team and played as an individual.

Sinksen finished 14th with 156 strokes, only eight strokes behind first place.

Long and Marks held 158, strokes tying at 18th place with CMSU’s Michael Wood and Caleb Turbett from Winona State.

“Right now we are in a slump,” Koehler said.

“A lot of players are discouraged and are not playing well.”

Koehler feels the weather has a lot to do with the poor outcome of the recent tournaments.

“I can’t think of anyone that’s really mentally focused,” Koehler said.

He also said a big problem the team is facing right now is finding five key players who travel and play well together.

“In the last three tournaments, we have switched up our roster a lot,” Koehler said.

“This is the first tournament that I went to where I haven’t been in the top five since I started playing for Southern.”

When the team returned from California, Koehler decided to make some changes in his swing. Since then he’s been practicing his new techniques.

“I haven’t shown that I can play at that high level again,” he said.

Koehler said the lack of mental focus serve

The Lions have three tournaments remaining this season. Monday and Tuesday the men will be in Topeka, Kan., for the Washburn Invitational at WU.

“I think if we practice hard this week we can win it,” Marks said. “I think we have the talent to do it.”

The men are also preparing for the MIAA tournament at Alvamar Golf Course in Lawrence, Kan., on April 28 and 29.

“We want to play well in the rest of the Tournaments so we will have a chance to go for nationals,” Marks said.

In order to get to nationals the Lions will need to bump up to first place in regionals from their current stand at second place.

The team must receive an invitation to play at the National tournament.

Placing first at regionals is a sure bet for the team to make it to nationals.

The Great Lakes/Central Super Regional will be hosted by SBU this year.

The tournament will take place at Silo Ridge Golf Course in Bolivar.

“I think we have a good shot,” Long said. “Talent wise we are the best team in our region.”

Andy Koehler said the team feels they will have no problem making it to nationals.

“Last year we won so I think everyone is excited to go back,” Long said.