Northwest/Scouting state badminton
By Marty Maciaszek
mmaciaszek@dailyherald.com
When: 10 a.m. Friday; 9:30 a.m. Saturday
Where: Eastern Illinois University’s Lantz Gym, Charleston
Area singles qualifiers: Angela Wu (Fremd), Wan Wan Liu (Stevenson), Hannah Gross (Barrington), Cindy Wong (Maine West), Jenn Hall (Hersey), Sara Partington (Schaumburg), Annie Huang (Fremd), Jessica Lam (Stevenson), Adrianna Sanchez (Leyden), Hannah Park (Wheeling), Stephanie Anderson (Palatine)
Area doubles qualifiers: Nell Boyd-Michelle Byjos (Buffalo Grove), Taylor Seplowin-Emily Cai (Stevenson), Shea Gallus-Noreen Caporusso (Prospect), Rachel Kaim-Kerry Trotter (Elk Grove), Kelly Owens-Ji Young Seo (Fremd), Sarah Gangl-Katrina Mira (Maine West), Jenna Ciesielski-Sierra Kane (Elk Grove), Kelly Lawless-Maxine Venturelli (Prospect), Shannon Fitzgerald-Mayu Sugikawa (Fremd), Lillian Armoush-Katie Kowall (Leyden), Amruta Bhatt-Maiko Matsubara (Hoffman Estates), Jenny Krewer-Alanna Zawlocki (Buffalo Grove), Connie Lu-Eilrayna Gelyana (Stevenson), Maggie Van Grondelle-Tomoyo Tsurumi (Palatine).
Team outlook: Not only does the future look bright for Fremd since Shannon Fitzgerald is the only senior of its six state qualifiers but so does the present considering there doesn’t appear to be a team like last year when New Trier overwhelmed everyone. “No one is going to score (25.5 points) this year,” said Fremd coach Bob Hanson, whose team tied for a third-place trophy last year to go with titles in 2009 and 2007. “The sky’s the limit. When you get all six down anything can happen.” Freshman Angela Wu is a 3-4 seed in singles and junior Annie Huang makes her third trip to state. New Trier lost standout Dora Saclarides to injury but still has singles top-seed Mari Georgiadis and 9-12 doubles seed Claire Hindsley-Vicki Ho. Other threats include Sandburg with No. 2 singles seed Katie Wagner, perennial power Downers Grove North (nine trophies in 11 years) with 5-8 singles seed Maureen Eckdahl and 3-4 doubles seed Jackie Bland-Anna Marek and Hinsdale South with 5-8 seed Andrea McNallly and 13-16 doubles seed Anjali Pal-Brittany DeCloutte. Buffalo Grove finished second for its first state trophy last year and will have to rely on its doubles teams for points this year.
Singles outlook: Wu rebounded from a loss in the Mid-Suburban League tournament to Palatine’s Maggie Van Grondelle to beat Huang in the sectional final. “I’ve improved a lot,” Wu said. “I’ll mentally prepare and ask my teammates who have been there (about it) since I haven’t been there.” Georgiadis was third in doubles last year and looks to uphold her top seed. Making return trips from the area are Schaumburg’s Sara Partington, Leyden’s Adrianna Sanchez, Wheeling’s Hannah Park and Stevenson’s Wan Wan Liu.
Doubles outlook: After finishing fourth last year, BG seniors Nell Boyd and Michelle Byjos are the targeted team with a perfect 31-0 record and top seed. Byjos said “we don’t really worry about the record” and Boyd said “even though we’re undefeated we don’t take that for granted at all.” Especially since the second seed is the familiar duo of Palatine junior Maggie Van Grondelle, a two time state medalist who took third with her sister Katie last year, and sophomore Tomoyo Tsurumi. “I think we had three good (sectional) wins and we’ve played pretty well all season,” Maggie Van Grondelle said. “We have to take it one match at a time downstate and have fun with it.” BG’s Jenny Krewer and Alanna Zawlocki are well-tested from facing Boyd and Byjos all season and are looking to make an impact. Fremd’s doubles team of Kelly Owens and Ji Young Seo won the sectional less than a week after being paired together. Prospect’s Shea Gallus and Noreen Caporusso and Elk Grove’s Jenna Ciesielski and Sierra Kane won sectional titles.