Did It For Yoko: Windermere Prep wins state championship

Windermere Prep’s girls golf team was confident heading into the Class 1A state tournament for golf. After finishing second at districts, the Lakers won the regional title and were brimming with confidence heading into states. 

But, that all changed when the Lakers received some unexpected news that sent shockwaves through the team. 

Windermere Prep’s No. 1 golfer, senior Yoko Tai, would not be competing at states. Instead, she would be representing her home country of Singapore at the World Amateur Asia-Pacific golf tournament in Abu Dhabi, which coincided with the state tournament. Although that is certainly an accomplishment worth celebrating, it meant that each member of the Lakers would have to pull her weight in the team’s bid for a state championship. 

Head coach Rick Stewart was confident, however, that his team would do just that. 

“We still had four solid golfers; we were just looking for a fifth,” Stewart said. “We got that in Sophia (Zhang) … and we went from there.” 

Junior Mindy Zhai and the team looked at the bigger picture in terms of what this would mean to the school, knowing it had been 10 years since the golf team won a state championship. 

“We wanted to give something back, and so we said, ‘Can’t we do that again?’” Zhai said. 

Heading into states, their battle cry was D.I.F.Y. — Do It For Yoko. 

With a little bit of help in the final round, the Lakers did just that and clinched their first state championship in golf since 2011, the second of their back-to-back state titles. 

“I couldn’t be happier for the team and the way they played,” Tai said. “COVID really hurt the team last year, so it feels great to win states. This was truly a team effort.” 

Before the tournament, Tai had one message to the team: Win outright, and avoid a playoff at all costs. 

“It would have been way too stressful,” Tai said. 

The team shot a combined 583, including a 287 in the second round to fend off a late challenge by Lake Mary Prep, which shot a 282 on the second day to make a more interesting finish. Lake Mary Prep finished with a 588 combined and watched the Lakers shoot on the final hole in a perceived intimidation move. 

It didn’t work. The Lakers all parred the final hole to cement their victory. 

“I felt we had it after Mindy (Zhai) parred,” golfer Alicia Qian said. “It was a hesitant feeling at first, but after she did, it was a feeling of, ‘OK, we can celebrate freely now.’” 

For Stewart, it was an unexpected surprise — this was his first year as the head coach. 

“We were still getting to know (one another), so I wasn’t sure what would happen,” Stewart said. “I’m excited and happy for the team. They fought all year long and deserve it. This is a great team to be around.” 

Until that final hole, the Lakers were looking for a spark to get them going. Zhai provided that when she hit three consecutive birdies as part of five she hit to maintain the team’s lead. She finished the tournament in sixth place with a 142 overall. 

Now that they have gotten one championship, the team is not satisfied. They want more. 

“Next year, it’s do it for Mindy,” Qian said. 

“We, of course, want to win states again,” Stewart said. “I want to build a championship team with multiple championships.”