TQL former college athletes spotlight: Mackenzie
Being a college athlete takes hard work and determination, and Total Quality Logistics counts many of these standouts as team members. We share their stories in this new feature.
As a confetti spray marked Westmont University’s 2021 NAIA Women’s Basketball Championship victory over Thomas More University, Mackenzie S. and her teammates vowed to avenge the defeat.
“The confetti was motivation for the next year,” said Mackenzie, a TQL software developer. “We all knew we weren’t going to let that happen again. We wanted that celebration for us.”
The Saints made good on that pledge and in 2022 beat Dordt University in a 77-65 national championship in Sioux City, Iowa.
Mackenzie, a 5-foot-10 senior, made a corner 3-pointer just 29 seconds into play and Thomas More never trailed on its way to a program-first NAIA title.
The championship was the culmination of Mackenzie’s collegiate sports journey. She initially played basketball at Morehead State University but transferred to Thomas More during the pandemic to be closer to home.
Mackenzie pursued her professional endeavors along the way and had a TQL internship before she accepted a full-time position. She said she “wouldn’t be where I am today” in her career without a basketball background that taught her time management, a strong work ethic and relationship building.
Persistence proved equally important, especially in the national championship run. Although Thomas More was bounced from its first game of the 2022 Mid-South Conference Tournament, players sought redemption in their quest for an NAIA title.
And when they achieved it, capping a 32-4 season with the ultimate victory, there was nothing as rewarding as a confetti celebration all their own.
“That was insane. I can’t even describe the happiness of everyone on the team,” she said.
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