With their season quickly coming to its end, the men of Lions golf are working hard to focus and finish out the season strong.

The Lions are also struggling to balance a hectic golf schedule on top of school.

“I think that people don’t realize that college golf is one of the hardest sports in the country for players to maintain their GPAs because of the travel schedule,” said Andy Koehler, sophomore biology major.

Weather permitting, the golfers practice every day and play a full round of 18 holes. Koehler said many of the players take Internet, night and televised courses in order to balance school with the golf season.

On April 21 and 22, five of the 11 Lions competed in the Washburn Invitational in Topeka, Kan. Teams competing included Washburn University, Missouri Western State College, Southwest Baptist University, Central Missouri State University, Truman State University, Pittsburg State University and University of Missouri-Rolla.

Placing third behind Washburn University and Missouri Western wasn’t where the team had hoped to end up.

“We were not very happy with the way we played,” said freshman accounting major Nick Marks.

Marks placed 39th out of 43 golfers and said he was let down with his outcome.

Senior Mickey Carpenter led the team placing fourth. Carpenter tied in fourth place with Brian Doolan of CMSU and Paul Resner of WU.

Senior Kyle Long placed 11th with 154 strokes, tying with sophomore Andy Koehler. Sophomore Danny Sinksen placed 24th and said he was not happy with the way he played.

The Lions are now practicing for the MIAA Tournament at Alvamar Golf Course in Lawrence, Kan.

All the teams in their division will be in Lawrence to compete.

“We have enough talent to win every tournament,” said sophomore Danny Sinksen. “We just need to play like we know we can.”

Koehler said the tournaments operate on a point system in which the team finishing first receives eight points, giving the second place team seventh points and so on. The Lions are currently down four and a half points and need to place first in the conference. The point system changes in the conference as the points are doubled. The team in first place will receive 16 points. Koehler said the team needs to place first ahead of WU.

Each week the Lions compete against each other in hopes of qualifying in the top five to play in the tournament.

“If we play to our ability, I think we can win it,” Marks said.

With regional just around the corner the Lions are anxious to compete in the tournament that could lead them to nationals.

“If we win regional we would get a trip to nationals and that would be amazing,” Sinksen said.

He said this is the year for Southern to win because the team has two seniors who lead very well.”

“I think that we all want it and hopefully we will go out and play our best,” Sinksen said.