HIGHLAND PARK TRIANGULAR

Last week badminton kicked off the 2018 season, but I was still tied into the girls’ basketball state tournament. Their season is now over, and I can start covering, in depth, the badminton scene again. The only game into town today was a triangular hosted by St. Paul Highland Park with a team from the suburban side (Bloomington Kennedy) and Minneapolis (Washburn). All three can walk away from the match with something to celebrate as each team had a match win. Kennedy knocked off the hosts, Washburn then edged Kennedy, with Highland wrapping up the day with a victory over the Millers.

But who actually “won” the day if all finished 1-1? The next level down is how many individual matches did each team win. In that case the winner was—–Highland Park with 10 followed by Kennedy with 7 and Washburn with 4.

Singles and doubles with two wins today include:
Vichheka Chy, first singles at Kennedy.
Yan Ling Yuan also of Kennedy with wins at third and second singles.
Plus all three doubles teams at Highland Park
Nina Phan/Azucena Callazo at first doubles
Subby Vang/Loren Sanchez at second doubles and
Phoebe Brown/Alicia Valesquez at third doubles.

BLOOMINGTON KENNEDY 4, ST. PAUL HIGHLAND PARK 3

The Eagles began life without 2017 singles champ Chusang Nhasang who has since graduated. Kennedy swept the singles in their win over the Scots. The margins were close in the singles with Kennedy winning all three of the three set matches. The deciding match came down to fourth singles, and Anh Nguyen went to extra points twice to pull the Eagles to victory. On the doubles end, HP swept and only allowed one set to go to double digits.

SINGLES
1. Vichheka Chy, BK def Elisa John 21-12, 12-21, 21-12
2. Yan Mei Yuan, BK def Danielle Johnson 14-21, 21-13, 21-16
3. Yan Ling Yuan, BK def Jada Martin 21-13, 21-14
4. Anh Nguyen, BK def Theresa Thao 15-21, 22-20, 24-22

DOUBLES
1. Nina Phan/Azucena Callazo, HP def Guadalupe Fernandez-Garcia/Annabelle Benitez 21-5, 21-6
2. Subby Vang/Loren Sanchez, HP def Sawanthane Sovanchannita/Sovathaysao Uy 21-5, 21-4
3. Phoebe Brown/Alicia Valesquez, HP def Kim Nguyen/Paola Guzman-Hernandez 21-9, 21-13

BY THE NUMBERS
SINGLES
Matches: Kennedy 4-0 1.000
Games: Kennedy 8-3 .727
points: Kennedy 213-185 .535
decided by 10+: none
decided by 3-: Kennedy 2-0 1.000
margin: Kennedy 2.54
DOUBLES
Matches: Highland Park 3-0 1.000
Games: Highland Park 6-0 1.000
points: Highland Park 126-42 .750
decided by 10+: Highland Park 5-0 1.000
decided by 3-: none
margin: Highland Park 14.00

MINNEAPOLIS WASHBURN 4, BLOOMINGTON KENNEDY 3

Washburn bumped off Kennedy in the second contest 4-3. Kennedy made a few tweaks in their line up with only number one singles Vichheka Chy remaining in the same slot as the first match. Chy won her second match of the day. Moving up to second singles Yan Ling Yuan also finished the day with two wins. This match came down to third singles. It was a familiar spot for Anh Nguyen, who was at fourth singles in the first match. Again the match went three sets. This time the scales tipped to Miller Ellie McKinney in the final two sets. McKinney rallied in the third set from a 15-11 deficit (when I first started to watch). Queenie Tran and Jewel Olmstead gave the Eagles their only win of the day in doubles. The pair did not play in the first match of the day.

SINGLES
1. Vichheka Chy, BK def Penelope Onsrud 21-18, 21-10
2. Yan Ling Yuan, BK def Ana Dolny 21-19, 21-13
3. Ellie McKinney, MW def Anh Nguyen 14-21, 21-19, 21-16
4. Ally Basanez, MW def Annabelle Benitez 21-18, 21-16

DOUBLES
1. Kayla Petersen/Amelia Bell, MW def Sawanthane Sovanchannita/Sovathaysao Uy 21-16, 21-15
2. Queenie Tran/Jewel Olmstead, BK def Hannah Ando/Eleanor Friel 21-9, 21-17
3. Ellie Wheeler/Emma Hurbanis, MW def Paola Guzman-Hernandez/Auyi Yabu 21-14, 21-16

BY THE NUMBERS
SINGLES
Matches: Kennedy 2-2 .500
Games: Kennedy 5-4 .556
points: Kennedy 174-158 .524
decided by 10+: Kennedy 1-0 1.000
decided by 3-: Washburn 2-0 1.000
margin: Kennedy 1.45
DOUBLES
Matches: Washburn 3-0 1.000
Games: Washburn 6-0 1.000
points: Washburn 126-95 .570
decided by 10+: none
decided by 3-: Washburn 1-0 1.000
margin: Washburn 5.17

ST. PAUL HIGHLAND PARK 7, MINNEAPOLIS WASHBURN 0

Highland came back strong in the final match of the day with a brooming of the Millers. Both teams kept their lineups intact from their initial offerings. The Scots had six two set sweeps. The only match that went the distance came at first singles where Elisa John rallied to win the final two sets. The HP doubles teams won their matches with an average of double digits. The HP second doubles pairing of Subby Vang/Loren Sanchez closed the door on their opponents preventing them to reach double digits in any set. The two averaged 5.75 points allowed in their four sets.

SINGLES
1. Elisa John, HP def Penelope Onsrud 12-21, 21-17, 21-16
2. Danielle Johnson, HP def Ana Dolny 21-10, 21-17
3. Jada Martin, HP def Ellie McKinney 21-19, 21-14
4. Theresa Thao, HP def Ally Basanez 21-7, 21-12

DOUBLES
1. Nina Phan/Azucena Callazo, HP def Kayla Petersen/Amelia Bell 21-8, 21-10
2. Subby Vang/Loren Sanchez, HP def Hannah Ando/Eleanor Friel 21-8, 21-6
3. Phoebe Brown/Alicia Valesquez, HP def Ellie Wheeler/Emma Hurbanis 21-18, 21-8

BY THE NUMBERS
SINGLES
Matches: Highland Park 4-0 1.000
Games: Highland Park 8-1 .889
points: Highland Park 180-133 .575
decided by 10+: Highland Park 2-0 1.000
decided by 3-: Highland Park 1-0 1.000
margin: Highland Park 4.27
DOUBLES
Matches: Highland Park 3-0 1.000
Games: Highland Park 6-0 1.000
points: Highland Park 126-58 .685
decided by 10+: Highland Park 5-0 1.000
decided by 3-: Highland Park 1-0 1.000
margin: Highland Park 11.33