Windermere Prep girls tennis finishes as state runner-up -- Observer Preps

For a second consecutive season, the girls tennis team at Windermere Prep finished its season as the state runner-up in Class 1A at the FHSAA Championships in Seminole County last week.

The Lady Lakers, who first defeated The First Academy and Trinity Prep in the regional playoffs to make it to state, bested Pensacola Catholic in the state quarterfinals and Jacksonville Episcopal in the state semifinals before falling to St. Andrew’s 4-1 in the state championship match April 25 — the same squad that had defeated Windermere Prep for the title a year ago.

Nevertheless, it was a thrilling experience for the Lady Lakers to once again make it all the way to the final match of the season.

“We were really thrilled to get to the finals — I think it was a testament to our team spirit and how much we supported each other,” head coach Mandy Rosenfield said. “(St. Andrew’s was) incredibly good — they were good on every line. We gave it our best and we really achieved.”

Rosenfield expressed pride in each of her athletes that comprised the state team, noting that everyone — from Line One to Line Five in singles and both doubles teams — had played a big role in the team’s advancing as far as it did.

“I think everyone, really, at some point pulled out a great win when perhaps they shouldn’t have,” Rosenfield said.

With just one senior — Hannah McGee — set to graduate, Windermere Prep will hope to build on its success from the past two years, though Rosenfield takes nothing for granted.

“You never know from year-to-year,” Rosenfield said. “We’ll do the best with who we have and hopefully continue.”

Though they had the best finish, the Lady Lakers were not the only local team to make it to state. Later in the week, on April 26, the Olympia boys tennis team was defeated by Tampa’s George Steinbrenner High in the Class 4A State Quarterfinals.

The Titans had previously defeated Dr. Phillips in the regional championship April 20 to make it to state.

Contact Steven Ryzewski at [email protected].