RUSSELLVILLE - Mikala Jungmeyer had three goals during her senior year and the summer leading up to it, and she checked off the final one two weeks ago at the Class 1 State Tournament by earning All-State honors with an 11th overall finish as she shot a 166 (87, 79).
Her other two goals were winning the Lake Ozark Junior Golf Association Championship - check - and probably the most important, winning the District Championship - check.
"You have to work for it, for sure, and I knew it was something I wanted," Jungmeyer said. "Since I knew (districts) was at Redfield, I played the course a lot even though it is my home course, there's always tricks you're going to get that day that you wouldn't normally have to do. I just tried to play different balls to see what happens to get the goal that I wanted."
At the two-day state tournament at Twin Hills Country Club in Joplin, Jungemeyer didn't have the start she wanted during her first round, shooting an 87.
"Nerves had a lot to do with it the first day, because it's my last time playing in state," Jungmeyer said. "I was actually struggling with my swing and it kind of takes awhile to get it. I kind of worked on it whenever I got down with my (first) round and tried to do my best. I just played a lot smarter, and I think that helped me out a lot."
Pars were hard to get for her on day one. With the course being so tight and a lot of her shots going right, most of her approach shots were used to run it low to get out of the trees. On day two, Jungmeyer birdied a couple holes on the back nine to help pace the rest of her round and have a solid finish.
Another highlight for her during the past several months wasn't a tournament win or a medal won, it took place during a causal round of golf at Lake Valley Country Club in Camdenton. On hole 15, a 116 yard par-3, Jungmeyer sent a nine-iron shot over a hill that blocked her view and into the hole for her first-ever hole-in-one.
"I was pretty excited," she said. "I really liked the distance of what it was. I was hoping this could be a birdie hole for me, so I was really taking my time and focusing on the shot. I knew once I hit it, it was going to be a pretty close shot."
With the hill blocking her view, Jungmeyer's mom screamed with excitement yelling that she made the shot, but it didn't set in until she walked up and saw it in the hole.
Jungmeyer spent a lot of time during her sophomore traveling to colleges in Missouri, hoping to land on a team when she completed high school. Last month, Jungmeyer signed with Columbia College and join coach John Utley's team as a member of the Cougars golf team.
"I for sure want to be No. 1 on Columbia College's golf team, that's the goal for any girl golfer," said Jungmeyer of her short-term goals. "Something that I'm definitely not shooting for the stars for, but if I work hard enough I can get it. I just want to travel as much as I can with coach Utley and see where golf takes me."
She'll major in criminal justice at Columbia College, another reason why she was drawn to the school.