—Photo by Chops Hancock/Winona State University Winona State’s Lani Van Zyl a Fort Dodge Senior High graduate, bats for the Warriors. Van Zyl, a junior, leads nearly every offensive category for Winona State.

BURNSVILLE, Minn. — Playing for Winona State head coach Greg Jones helped Lani Van Zyl accomplish success on the field, but also impacted her life in a much bigger picture along the way.

Van Zyl, a 2015 Fort Dodge Senior High graduate, was recently named the D3CCA Central Region Player of the Year and also earned first team All-American honors. Van Zyl was selected to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American team.

For all of the accolades she has accumulated in her career, Van Zyl credits her support system for everything.

“I was blessed with the opportunity to play for Coach Greg Jones. That man has had a greater impact on me as an athlete and young woman than I will ever be able to articulate to him,” Van Zyl said. “He, along with coach Cyndy Jones and coach Chad Tuescher, empowered me to play with perfect confidence and without fear every time I laced up my cleats.

“They taught me that the greatest thing a leader can do is empower those around them to be the best version of themselves, and they exemplified that every day as the leaders of our team.”

Van Zyl helped lead the Warriors to 53-win season, which ended in the NCAA regional championship. In her career, the Warriors were 185-46 overall and 94-15 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).

“Every individual I had the opportunity to suit up with as a Warrior allowed me to play freely and encouraged me to be exactly who I was on and off the field,” Van Zyl said. “That culture of acceptance and passion for the game we love is what has allowed WSU softball to be the power house that it has been over the past few years.”

Van Zyl has been an integral part of that process, and her success at the plate helped her garner elite accolades.

“Every single award that I have received over my time in a Warrior uniform (was not) possible by myself,” Van Zyl said. “If the success of a program was based on the accolades and success of one individual, no one would every experience the longevity of success that great programs experience.”

The awards are the highlights of a standout career for the former Dodger all-stater. This past season, Van Zyl held her second-highest batting average at .458 in 60 games. She had a career-best 87 hits, while scoring 54 runs, blasting 12 home runs and driving in 50.

Van Zyl finished in the Top-5 all-time at Winona State in nearly every offensive category. She is first with 229 games played, second in hits (284) and batting average (.403), and third in runs (179), while blasting 36 home runs (third). She was fourth in RBI (178) and fifth in at-bats (704).

On the defensive side of the ball, Van Zyl finishes second in assists with 390. She had a cumulative .955 fielding percentage.

“Being named an All-American to close out my four-year career at WSU is an honor, but not one that I can claim as my own,” Van Zyl said. “Everything I am is thanks to Jesus first; my family, who has supported me in all things; and to the coaching staff and administration at Winona State.”

Following her career at Winona State, Van Zyl will be heading to law school.

“Now that I am officially an alumni, I’ll be packing my things and heading to Charleston, South Carolina for law school in the fall,” Van Zyl said. “I’m very excited for this new chapter of my life, and feeling very thankful for the opportunities and experiences that have brought me to where I stand right now.”