—Photo by Chops Hancock/Winona State Fort Dodge SENIOR HIGH graduate Lani Van zyl (17), a senior for Winona State, was recently named Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Player of the Year.

BURNSVILLE, Minn. — Lani Van Zyl has been a Winona State Warrior for four seasons, and she has embodied every aspect of the team’s mascot.

Ten days before her senior season was set to start on the softball field, the 2015 Fort Dodge Senior High graduate suffered an injury that put a full season in jeopardy.

Van Zyl tore her meniscus in her right knee — the same knee she suffered a torn ACL in her senior year as a Dodger. She missed the last half of the basketball season and the entire softball campaign.

The injury usually requires a two-to-three month recovery process, but Van Zyl was back in less than a month.

“By the grace of God, I was back on the field in less than 20 days and felt like I was 100 percent,” Van Zyl said. “As far as my mindset heading into this season goes, I just wanted to win.”

After a stellar junior season that garnered her Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Player of the Year honors, Van Zyl was ready to make her final spring with the program a memorable one.

“This season has been the favorite of my entire softball career,” Van Zyl said. “I came into this year with high expectations for myself and my team.

“I had the personal goal of improving my swing in order to hit the inside pitch better, and I just wanted to do what I could in order to be what my teammates needed me to be.”

As a junior in 2018, Van Zyl put up huge number for a squad that won 45 games. She had 80 hits, batted .473, blasted 13 home runs and drove in 59 runs.

The Warriors have won 50 games so far this year, including a perfect 30-0 mark in conference play. Van Zyl is batting .457 with 79 hits, 12 home runs and 48 RBI.

“I never felt pressure to be who I was my junior year because no one ever asked me to be that person,” Van Zyl said. “My coaches have always allowed me the freedom to play the game freely and with high energy and passion, and I think that along with the Lord blessing me with my abilities and giving me a platform to perform is what has propelled my team and myself to where we stand right now.”

Van Zyl’s career has been one for the record books. She is currently Top-5 in eight offensive categories on the career charts. She is second in hits (276) and batting average (.402), third in games played (224), runs (177) and home runs (36).

Van Zyl is also fourth in RBI (176) and doubles (57) and fifth in at bats (687).

The Warriors strung together a 31-game win streak before losing to Minnesota State in the NSIC Tournament. They bounced back to win four consecutive games before losing in the championship final to Augustana.

For the second straight season, Winona State will be host of the NCAA Division II softball championship regional tournament on May 9-11.

Sixth-ranked (NFCA) Winona State will open with St. Cloud State on Thursday at 1 p.m.

“Our goal is to go out every day and play to dominate,” Van Zyl said. “We aren’t defending anything, but we’re going out to attack everything.

“The goal is to play through May … that’s what work for all year.”