EDINA FOUR-PEATS
The Edina Hornets added to their burgeoning badminton legacy with a fourth straight title, the last three all unblemished. The #1 team from start to finish this year adds to their winning streak total, now at 64, but win 64 needed an extra push. #3 Johnson, who beat #2 Harding in the semis 6-1, led 3-2 with two matches remaining. The Hornets needed both to claim title four. Still out was first doubles and fourth singles. The first doubles pairing featured the top two doubles seeds: #1 Daisy Hennington-Hoff and Ella Burke from Edina against #2 seeded Gaonou Vang and Angelina Thao. The Hornets took the first set 21-11, but the Govs responded with a victory in the second set 21-13 to set up a climatic battle. The pair met previously with DHH & EB winning in three in extra points on April 14. Today the Hornet duo won 21-15 tightening up the match to three wins apiece. Now all eyes were riveted on the fourth singles match. The first three singles and doubles all went out at the same time. The Katie Lesourd v Kang Nang Thao match took the floor when a spot opened up, and therefore was the last match out. Lesourd won the first set in a convincing 21-11 manner. The second set went to the wire with Lesourd topping Thao 21-19. The win at fourth singles was a flip for the Hornets. They needed that because Johnson’s first singles, and #2 seeded in the tournament tomorrow Amanda Her got revenge on an earlier loss to Evelyn Ge. The first meeting went to Ge in three. Today Her got it done in two. The other matches remained the same from the previous meeting meaning the Hornets now have four straight titles and have beaten the Govs the last three title games—-with the last two 4-3 scores. But today’s had the added drama requiring the last two matches to go Edina’s direction.
Earlier in the day in the semis Edina beat Como Park 6-1. Their first meeting of the year at CP was much closer at 4-3. Today Ge flipped first singles and the third doubles pair of Cadyn Woon and Jeevika Aggarwal flipped their match to make it 6-1. CP’s Tsuki Solheid was the only Cougar to maintain the win from the first meeting. But it took three sets this time, not the two in the first match.
The Harding v Johnson match featured the co-champs of the St. Paul Conference. Both had a win at home over the other during the year. Right out of the gate Harding topped Johnson 5-2. Later the Govs took down Harding 4-3. So where did the flips happen today? For the first time this year Amelia Her stopped Paige Xiong at second singles. The only position in singles that the Govs always won this year was third and Kelly Sheen did that 6 and 15. The other flip came at second doubles with Shalisha Vang and Krystal Moua turning the tables on Kelly Yang and Lydia Vang. KY & LV won the first meeting in two, the second in three before the Govs today won in two.
The third place game also came down to the final match—-fourth singles. There the Cougars Sada Gobena rallied after falling in the first set to Alexzandria Lewis 21-15. Gobena narrowly defeated Lewis 19 and 18 to finish the night. This was the last match of the entire event. The Cougars swept the singles while the Knights ruled the doubles. Besides the three setter at fourth singles the Solheid sisters both beat their opposites in three sets. Niko beat #1 Gao Zhia Vue in three with extra points needed in set one 22-20. The margins were two, three and two indicating a highly competitive atmosphere. Sister Tsuki at second singles needed three to finish Paige Xiong. Tsuki took the first 21-18. Xiong responded with a 21-16 win in set two while Solheid wrapped up the third set 21-17.
I hope to have the numbers from the first singles match ups featuring Amanda Her v Gao Zhia Vue (they are now 2-2 v each other with a potential fifth and final meeting tomorrow night to break the tie); and Her v Evelyn Ge of Edina in another revenge match.