Cheyenne Mountain’s Maxine Choi claims 4A girls golf title late; Windsor top team
COLORADO SPRINGS — The second and final day of the Class 4A girls golf state championships was one for the books.
Cheyenne Mountain’s Maxine Choi made a knee-knocker on the final hole, and a late push from Windsor resulted in a team championship.
Choi didn’t let nerves or pressure get to her and won the individual title in the Class 4A state girls golf championship over last year’s state champion, Lauren Lehigh.
“I’m pretty happy right now and actually just really content with myself,” said Choi. “I don’t really have any overly exciting emotions because I had so much support and they helped me feel like I could do it.
“I didn’t feel like I ever got in my groove today, the first nine were a little rough. The back nine weren’t that much better and I was really worried at hole 14 when I hit in the water and doubled, it was kind of rough.”
Going into hole 15, Lehigh had held the lead the entire day, sometimes by three strokes, but Choi was never far behind. On No. 16, Choi finished with a par, and Lehigh got a bogey and that was the story for the next hole. Heading into 18, Lehigh held a one-stroke lead.
“I was like ‘okay I guess I’ll go out and win this thing,” said Choi.
At hole 18, Choi looked anything but nervous and was very comfortable.
“I just told myself, ‘Hey you’re going to play like you know how to play,’” Choi said. “If I win, I win, if I get stuck then you’re still good.”
Luckily for Choi she didn’t get stuck and instead hit an eight-foot putt that gave her a birdie and a one stroke lead that resulted in the state title.
“It’s amazing to see how much I have accomplished throughout the 12 years I’ve been playing,” said Choi. “It just shows me that my hard has paid off and that I can go out and do even better.”
Glenwood Springs lead the team round for most of the day, but Windsor’s Kinsey Smith, Sarah Johnson, Brynn Ellis, and Jessica Zapf helped place their team in the top spot at the end of the day.
“This is such an awesome feeling,” said Johnson. “Even if I didn’t play my best, I feel great that we came out as a team and accomplished what we wanted to do.”
Windsor ended the day with an overall winning team score of 89-over and close behind was Glenwood Springs who ended the day at 95-over.
With the state title win, Johnson now has the opportunity to win two state titles in two days as she will be playing in the girls’ soccer state title game on Wednesday.
“I tried to keep soccer out of my mind,” said Johnson. “I just wanted to focus on golf and knew I wanted this State title first and that my team needed me, now all my focus is going towards soccer. It would mean so much to our school. I’m so thankful for all of these opportunities and for me to win golf today and possibly soccer tomorrow, there’s just no words to describe what I’m feeling.”
