Willowbrook flexes muscles at Palatine

Put Palatine's badminton team in a quad with schools of various levels, and the Pirates finish first -- as they did at the first quad they hosted this season.

Then there are the quads that really test Palatine, like the one the Pirates hosted Wednesday night -- where they placed third.

Willowbrook can go the Pirates one better.

The Warriors won a quad against Hinsdale Central, Downers Grove North and Andrew.

The Warriors also won the 18-team Shepard Invitational, and now they have added the Palatine quad to their growing resume.

Evanston finished second Wednesday with 12 points, Palatine placed third with 10 points and Glenbrook South came in fourth with 4.

"We have a pretty good team this year," said Willowbrook coach Kim Collings. "We have some good athletes."

The Warriors certainly demonstrated that fact at the top of their lineup.

Willowbrook won first singles behind Dominique DeMatteo and second singles thanks to Rachel McIndoo.

They also got a bonus at first doubles, where Katie Thornton and Lauren Ondensin beat Evanston, Glenbrook South and Palatine.

"The top of my lineup is playing really well," Collings said. "Between those singles players and that doubles team, we scored 9 of our 16 points."

"They've been doing great," Palatine coach Nikki O'Keefe said of Willowbrook. "They were really our first tough competition of the season. Last year we wound up with 10 points.

"We were pleasantly surprised. Willowbrook brought a really strong team. We have three girls on (spring) break, but we should be good. Our first three doubles did well and also our first singles."

At first doubles, Palatine's Niki Patel and Katie Van Grondelle placed second.

"The first two matches were the same," Van Grondelle said. "The third one was really different and that's what we like."

"We beat Glenbrook South, then Evanston, but fell to Willowbrook's Megan Kerr 21-13, 21-10," said Patel. "The first two matches were good. We've been playing like that all season.

"Willowbrook, if you hit one out, every point matters so you had to keep going."