With a calm swing and a summer’s worth of preparation behind her, Alina Lam (11) has emerged as one of the most dominant high school golfers in the region this season and she’s not done yet. Lam, a standout student at Southeast Highschool on the girls’ golf team, claimed first place at four major tournaments this fall: Tex Consolver, MacDonald, Sim Park and Mariah Hills.
Her consistent excellence resulted in a fourth-place individual finish at the state championship, where she helped lead her team to a ninth-place overall finish. And she was also named to the Wichita Eagle All-Metro team for the third straight year.
“I’ve been practicing a lot during the summer, so it’s just been paying off,” Lam said.
Lam’s performance has been nothing short of remarkable, but it’s also the product of a team that has built its strength over time.
With a returning roster and a shared sense of purpose, the group has consistently placed in the top three at tournaments throughout the season. That consistency is no accident. The team has leaned on its returning players, building on last year’s foundation to push even further this fall.
Among those teammates is Lauren Floyd (11), another key contributor who has regularly finished in the top 20 at tournaments.
“This year we’ve actually done pretty good for the most part,” Floyd said. “It’s some of our teammates last year playing with us, so we’ve all kicked it into gear that, like, we do need to go further on from state and be able to get higher up as a team.”
That drive has translated into long hours on the course and a commitment to daily improvement. Not only did Lam and Floyd have a good season but so did their teammates, Hailey Moore (12) and Reese Hawkins (12). Two seniors that both placed in the Top 10 in almost every tournament they competed in.
“Just practicing, if anything, we go out every day, practice for a couple hours and go to our tournaments and hope for the best,” Floyd said.
“It’ll just take a lot of practice and time and hard work,” Lam said.
Looking ahead, Lam is already thinking about the future. With two seniors graduating, she hopes to see new players step up and continue the team’s upward trajectory.
“I hope to play more tournaments next year since we’re losing two seniors,” she said. “I guess next year I just hope that we’ll get more people to, like, fill these spots and continue the success.”
Despite the heavy changes, both Lam and Floyd remain focused on finishing strong and setting the tone for next season.
“I’m just gonna keep on practicing and try and get better,” Floyd said of her postseason goals.
For now, the team is celebrating a season marked by growth, joy, and a shared belief in what’s possible when talent meets teamwork.
