By Joey McWilliams
SILO – Just four years after taking up the sport, Makenzie Rogers will be playing golf next season at the college level.
Sports presented by Indian Nation Wholesale.
Rogers, a senior at Silo High School, signed on Wednesday to play golf and attend college at Murray State College in Tishomingo.
Rogers said she felt blessed and honored to get to sign in front of family and friends and to get to compete at the next level.
“I started when I was a freshman and that was pretty much the goal ever since then and I’ve just been working for it,” Rogers said. “And it’s finally here.”
She credited MSC golf coach Al Smith as being a reason to join the Aggies’ golf team.
“I’ve heard tremendous things from people and he is not only a good coach, but he proves he is a good coach by winning and having a good reputation, so I’m really excited about that.”
Smith said Rogers was the first signee from Silo he’s had at MSC.
“I think it’s a great improvement for our team to help us move up in the rankings,” Smith said. The Aggies are currently No. 6 in the country, according to Golfstat.
Although this is the first Silo signee to play women’s golf at Murray State, Smith said Durant product Paige Clinton (DHS Class of 2017) had transferred to the program.
“I think (Rogers is) going to help me a bunch,” Smith said. “I think she’s going to really improve.
“I watched her play last year and I think with a little practice, she’s going to shoot some good numbers and get noticed by a lot of coaches all over the nation. That’s what our goal is – to make sure the kids get noticed.”