Normal U-High’s Ocheltree wins CSM 2025 Girls Golfer of the Year

Normal U-High's Natalie Ocheltree poses with her many trophies and medals. Photo provided.

Natalie Ocheltree is a young woman of many talents. She’s a National Honor Society member, ballet dancer and involved in several clubs and extracurricular activities. 

She’s also Clutch Sports Media’s 2025 Girls Golfer of the Year after leading Normal U-High to a fifth place finish at the Class 2A State Finals and a heap of tournament wins during the season. 

Ocheltree has made an impact on the Pioneers’ varsity squad since her freshman year. She’s been a part of a team that’s finished fifth at the highly-competitive Class 2A State Finals three of the last four years. Individually, she’s improved her showing at state each year, starting by placing 70th as a freshman 65th as sophomore, 24th as a junior and, most recently, ninth as a senior. 

Ocheltree shot a five-over 77 and followed it up with a two-under 70 at Hickory Point Golf Course to close out her storied high school career. 

Her senior year also included winning the Bloomington/Normal Intercity Tournament, Normal Community Invite, Bloomington Central Catholic Saints Shootout, Livingston County Invitational, Pekin Dragon Classic and Central State Eight Conference Tournament. A first-team all-CS8 selection, Ocheltree routinely shot below, at, or just above even par. 

Ocheltree is known for her welcoming, talkative nature on the golf course and was a key senior leader for a Pioneers’ team that featured multiple underclassmen. She won CSM Girls Athlete of the Week for the week of Sept. 22-28 after leading Normal U-High to sizable victories at the Pekin Dragon Classic and Central State Eight Conference Tournament. 

She’s part of a decorated Normal U-High team that featured three CSM First Team All-Area selections and CSM’s 2025 Girl Golf Coach of the Year, Greg Dennis. 

Hear from Ocheltree about her season and career in our interview with her below, some responses have been minimally edited for clarity.

What have you been able to reflect on in the days since the season has ended? 

“I guess with it being senior year, I just thought back to like ‘Wow, that was the end of a four-year legacy. And just the fact that it's hard to move on and it's fun to see my teammates in the halls and see coach right now. We give each other hugs and we tell each other we miss each other, so just like that sort of thing, [I’m] missing the team, but there's good opportunities out there in the future.”

What inspired your love for the game? 

“I started playing when I was four, I used to do these little summer clinics and my swing coach, Mark Hearn, when I was seven, ran these clinics. I was hitting a little seven iron and hitting it to nowhere, maybe like 90 yards, but I hit the flagstick at the range and as soon as I did that, I turned to him and I said, ‘I'm born to golf!’” After that, it was just like tournament after tournament and just working hard and it just feels good to have something that you work hard for. It gives you a purpose.”

Where was your favorite place to play?

“My favorite course I've ever played at was Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head. That was awesome, the lighthouse was so pretty, it was really cool. My favorite tournament, though, that's a hard one. The scrambles are always fun with the team and then I did do a little tournament with my dad, which was also fun. I like the Livingston County invite, just because of legacy.  State's always fun because it's always like you work so hard to get there and it happens, but it's also so emotional. It's bittersweet, you love it and you hate it at the same time.”

What’s a motto or mindset you take when you’re competing?

“I don't know if it's like a phrase or anything but when things get bad or I'm nervous, which happens a lot. I mean, I just kind of turn to God, honestly. When I'm playing, Jesus is your best friend. I'm telling you like when it got towards the end and people got serious. I mean, I was, like, speaking out loud to myself to God. I just feel like prayer makes you confident, it makes you calm and you definitely need that in order to play well…and deep breaths.”

“G-G-Y-6, [which means] God’s got your back. That’s what coach told me one time and I was hooked. When I was in a little bit of trouble, he said ‘God’s got your back.”

Aside from winning, what was your favorite memory of the season? 

“We painted pottery this past weekend, that was fun, and we’re hoping to go to Six Flags this summer.”

What are your future plans?

“I’m going to golf at Illinois Wesleyan and hoping to major in biology with a minor

in Spanish in the health profession. Then I'm hoping to go to dental school and be a pediatric dentist that speaks Spanish.”