For the third straight year the Edina Hornets are the top of the Minnesota badminton mountain, but it wasn’t easy. For the second straight year they faced Johnson. Last year was a 7-0 sweep. This year the Governors pushed the host school to 4-3. This was undefeated Edina’s tightest match of the year. Earlier this year the Hornets beat Johnson 5-2. Today there were three flips from that first match with Johnson picking up two wins, and Edina changing the outcome on one. Ironically two of the flips involved the sixth seed in singles and doubles.
At second singles, Edina’s Aarushi Bhatnagar stopped sixth ranked Gaonou Vang in two sets with identical 21-16 scores. Bhatnagar was ranked ninth in the final individual poll. In their first meeting in the regular season Vang beat Bhatnagar 12 and 9. That is a grand total of 31 points that turned to the Hornets today. The pair never met at the Edina Invitational.
The Governors did flip fourth singles with Amanda Her topping Clare Watz.
At second doubles the corresponding sixth ranked Juman Alkhatib and Bergen Pickett of Edina fell in three to Shalisha Vang and Krystal Moua. The Governor pair was number 15 in the last poll. In the regular season match the Hornets won in extra points in the first set 23-21 and followed that with 16 in the second. At the Edina Invitational the Governors did win out in three sets. With today’s win they finished 2-1 against Edina.
Today also featured the top four singles seeds. #1 ranked Su Meh of Johnson won both her matches. The semis featured potential semifinal matchups on the individual side of the tournament. The doubles only had one of the top four seeds involved today and the Edina duo of Sanna Coma and Ivy Peterson won both sets.
The number crunching will come next, but won’t be posted until tomorrow morning.
SEMIFINALS
#1 EDINA 5, #4 HARDING 2
SINGLES
1 Gaozhia Vue, H def Hazel Dang 24-22, 21-17
2 Linda Chang, H def Aarushi Bhatnagar 22-20, 21-17
3 Eveyln Ge, E def Lydia Vang 21-13, 21-10
4 Claire Watz, E def Cindy Yang 21-14, 21-12
DOUBLES
1 Sanna Coma / Ivy Peterson, E def Paige Xiong / Gaohli Chang 21-5, 21-10
2 Bergen Pickett / Juman, E def Alisa Chang / Chaiplia Moua 19-21, 21-19, 21-15
3 Ella / Daisy, E def Chiashe Moua / Kelly Yang 21-5, 21-9
#3 JOHNSON 5, #2 COMO PARK 2
SINGLES
1 Su Meh, J def Niko Solheid 24-22. 18-21, 21-9
2 Tsuki Solheid, CP def Gaonou Vang 22-20, 21-15
3 Sandy Moua, J def Heh Blut Paw 21-18, 22-20
4 Amanda Her, J def Oo Meh 21-17, 21-14
DOUBLES
1 Asta Ket / Gaolee Yang, CP def Anastasia Vang/ Sammie Yang 17-21, 21-17, 21-14
2 Shalisha Vang / Krystal Moua, J def Plar See Sher Ku / Persephone Yang 21-16, 21-12
3 Aliya Vang/ Cammie Yang, J def Lana Yang / Rose Yang 22-20, 8-21, 21-12
3RD
#2 COMO PARK 4, #4 HARDING 3
SINGLES
1 Gaozhia Vue, H def Niko Solheid 24-22, 18-21, 21-18
2 Tsuki Solheid, CP def Linda Chang 21-17, 20-22, 21-11
3 Heh Blut Paw, CP def Tiffany Tran 21-14, 18-21, 21-11
4 Oo Meh, CP def Lydia Vang 19-21, 21-17, 21-16
DOUBLES
1 Asta Ket / Gaolee Yang, CP def Gaohli Chang / Paige Xiong 14-21, 22-20, 21-14
2 Alisa Chang / Chaiplia Moua, H def Plar See Sher Ku / Persephone Yang 21-16, 21-16
3 Kelly Yang / Chiashe Moua, H def Lana Yang/ Rose Yang 21-17, 21-18
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 EDINA 4, #3 JOHNSON 3
SINGLES
1 Su Meh, J def Hazel Dang 21-17, 21-16
2 Aarushi Bhatnagar, E def Gaonou Vang 21-16, 21-16
3 Evelyn Ge, E def Sandy Moua 21-19, 21-18
4 Amanda Her, J def Claire Watz 21-13. 21-10
DOUBLES
1 Ivy Peterson / Sanna Coma, E def Anastasia Vang / Sammie Yang 21-6, 22-20
2 Shalisha Vang / Krystal Moua, J def Bergan Pickett / Juman Alkhatib 15-21, 25-23, 21-15
3 Ella Burke / Daisy Hennington-Hoff, E def Aliya Vang / Cammie Yang 21-13, 21-5