Martini, Bison shine in sectional

Rolling Meadows' junior Kim Martini wasn't too happy with a fourth-place finish last weekend at No. 1 singles in the Mid-Suburban League badminton tournament.

There was no disappointment for Martini on Thursday at the Buffalo Grove sectional. She left with the singles championship and her first state tournament berth with a 21-15, 21-16 victory over Schaumburg senior Amanda Hardt.

"I'm really excited," Martini said. "I knew I could do it but a lot of girls here are really good.

"I had to focus and play my best. I feel I kind of reached a new level."

Buffalo Grove won its first sectional title since 2006 with 13 points as Ashton and Heather Nisbet topped teammates Michelle Byjos and Kate Meyers 22-20, 21-12 for the doubles title.

But it was fourth-place finisher Deanna Guyton's tough singles win in the round to qualify for state which gave the Bison the edge over Stevenson (12 points) for the title.

Stevenson senior Zina Yun finished third at singles and junior Katie McMillan and freshman Wan Wan Liu beat senior teammates Ariel Kersky and Katie Franke 21-17, 12-21, 21-14 for third in doubles.

"We knew it would be a tough sectional and it has to be one of the tougher ones," said Stevenson coach Mike Fitzgerald. "I knew it would come down to just a couple of matches."

Martini upheld her top seed and didn't lose a game in three matches.

"Playing everybody in our conference helps me get better," Martini said.

Hardt will make her first trip to next weekend's state tournament in Charleston in singles after qualifying in doubles the last two years.

"It feels different," Hardt said. "Now you're alone and you have to go out on the court and do everything. It's a lot bigger responsibility."

The Nisbets (27-3), who finished second in the state last year, and Meyers and Byjos (37-2) are accustomed to playing each other every day.

"It's a little different when the lights are really on," said BG coach Chris Van Grondelle of their first match with something at stake.

"It's the first time we actually had to act serious on the floor," Heather Nisbet said. "It was kind of hard but once we got later into the match we realized it was who wants it more."

Meyers, who qualified for state as a sophomore, and Byjos were up 20-15 in the first game when the Nisbets finished on a 7-point run.

"It was definitely an odd one," Meyers said. "We're so used to goofing off in practice and laughing with each other.

"The first couple of points we were standing there laughing. But once you lose like that, nothing can get you to goof off after that."

None of Stevenson's five qualifiers were part of its sectional team last year. Yun, who played No. 3 or 4 singles all year, won a pair of three-game matches en route to taking third.

"We could have qualified everyone or not had anyone," Fitzgerald said. "We were playing matches where if we lost, we're done.

"They showed a lot of character and desire to want to keep it going and stay alive."

At York: Top-seeded Maine West senior Amanda Czekaj (21-4) won the singles title for her first state tournament berth. Czekaj's closest game was 6 points.

At New Trier: Hersey seniors Ashley Thomas and Jillian Cabrera qualified for state in doubles for the second straight year with a third-place finish.