Nike Softball Camp at Wingate University

Camp Coaches

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  Sydney Lahners

  Camp Director

  Wingate University Director of Athletics Joe Reich has announced Sydney Lahners as the new head softball coach at Wingate University. Lahners comes to Wingate after serving as the head coach at Vanguard University since 2022.

  View Sydney's Bio
  

  Sydney Lahners

  Camp Director

  "I am honored and so grateful for the opportunity that Dr. Brown and the administration has given me to lead this program," Lahners says. "Wingate has a strong history of athletic and academic success, I am looking forward to being a part of such a distinguished University and department. The softball program has a long legacy of success, competing at a championship level. I am eager to continue building on that success."

  
  "We are excited to welcome Coach Lahners to the Wingate Athletic department!" Reich says. "We believe Sydney is a great fit for our softball program and we look forward to her leading our program and mentoring our softball student-athletes."
  
  Lahners served as the assistant coach at Vanguard University from 2020 through 2022, then took over as the head coach in August of 2022. As the head coach, Lahners led Vanguard to back-to-back conference tournament titles in 2023 and 2024. The team piled up 48 victories in the 2024 season and won 91 games in her three seasons from 2023 through 2025. Vanguard made a pair of tournament runs, finishing one game away from a trip to the World Series in 2024.
  
  As a student-athlete, Lahners played at the University of the Pacific, where she earned All-West Coast Conference accolades three straight years (2016, 2017 and 2018). She finished in the top 10 in program history in homers, batting average, walks, RBI and on-base percentage. Lahners led the team in homers, RBI and batting average during her senior season.
  
  Lahners earned her undergraduate degree from the University of the Pacific in 2018, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Adminstration and Human Resources and Management. She then earned her Master's degree from Fresno State in May of 2020 in Sports Administration. Lahners began her coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at Fresno State in 2018.
  
  Lahners comes to a Wingate softball program that has won each of the last three regular season SAC titles. The Bulldogs have won 136 games during that span, while going 58-14 in league play. The 'Dogs have made four consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, hosting NCAA Regionals for the first time in program history in 2023, when Wingate advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals for the first time in school history.

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  Makayla Bowman

  Coach

  Makayla Bowman was named the softball assistant coach in July of 2024. Bowman joins the Bulldog staff after a standout career for 2022 NCAA Division II national champion Rogers State.

  View Makayla's Bio
  

  Makayla Bowman

  Coach

  Bowman spent her first two collegiate seasons playing at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, earning NJCAA All-Tournament team accolades in 2018 and 2019. She spent her final two seasons at Rogers State, earning All-MIAA and NFCA All-Region accolades for the national champion Hillcats.
  
  Bowman started all 68 games during the 2022 national championship season, hitting .317 with 11 homers, 12 doubles, 40 RBI and 35 runs scored. The Hillcats were dominant all season, going 58-10 overall and 20-6 in the MIAA. Rogers State swept through the conference tournament to claim the MIAA tourney title, while going 4-1 in regionals to advance to super regionals, where the Hillcats outscored Central Oklahoma 15-2 in the two victories to punch a ticket to the World Series. Rogers State continued its dominance in the World Series, winning all five games to claim the national title, with Bowman collecting hits in four of the five World Series games with an RBI in each of the final two contests.
  
  Bowman wrapped up her collegiate career by hitting .354 with 283 hits including 47 homers, driving in 216 runs during her four-year career.
  
  Bowman earned her undergraduate degree and master's degree at Rogers State, earning her MBA in 2022. She has spent seven years as a private instructor and summer ball coach. Last year, Bowman was an assistant coach at Crandall ISD in Dallas, Texas.
  
  Bowman joins a Wingate softball program that is in the midst of the greatest two-year stretch in program history. The Bulldogs have piled up 97 wins over the last two seasons, with the 48 victories in 2024 setting a program record, one more than the 47 wins in 2023. The 'Dogs have won back-to-back regular season SAC titles, going 40-8 in league play. The Bulldogs have earned hosting duties at the NCAA Southeast Regionals each of the last two years. Wingate was ranked in the NFCA top 25 throughout the 2024 season, climbing as high as #7 while compiling a 22-game winning streak.