Geneva claims UEC badminton crown

With scores of fellow competitors cheering wildly for every backhand, smash and drop shot, Tasha Ramos and Meeky Siphandone were truly the center of attention as the last match of the Upstate Eight Conference badminton tournament Saturday afternoon at East Aurora.

Siphandone, the Elgin senior who immigrated from Laos before the start of the school year, clarified one final moment of uncertainty as the raucous noise temporarily abated.

“That’s good,” Siphandone said of Ramos’ final winner to the left side.

With her come-from-behind 17-21, 21-16 and 21-12 triumph, Ramos, an East Aurora senior, not only became a three-time league champion but also defended her title at first singles for the host Tomcats.

“I tried my best,” Siphandone said. “Always try your best. I gave up playing for five years and started playing again.”

Ramos, a returning state qualifier who won for the 41st time this spring, came away impressed by the dexterity Siphandone showcased.

“You don’t see too many female players, especially in high school, with a backhand like that,” Ramos said.

Siphandone and Boryana Burisova, the Maroons’ third singles player, dropped a three-set championship match at first doubles to the Geneva duo of Nora Burkhardt and Nicole Schneider Thursday night.

“The only thing we say to each other is ‘no mercy,’” said Burisova, who was born in Bulgaria. “We die for every shot.”

The Vikings’ championship at first doubles proved a harbinger of weekend action as the regular-season River Division team champion derailed the Valley victor, Neuqua Valley, for top honors at East Aurora on Saturday by a final margin of 59.5-45.

Metea Valley was third, followed by East Aurora, Lake Park, Waubonsie Valley and Bartlett in the top half.

Other than Siphandone, South Elgin junior Brenda Alcantara was the lone Elgin-area athlete to make the finals.

The No. 8 player in the Storm lineup fell to Lake Park junior Emily Czyzewsk in straight games.

“I lost to (Alcantara) in the regular season,” Czyzewsk said. “I stayed more focused this time. My focus (was the big difference).”

“(Czyzewsk) knew where to hit the birdie,” Alcantara said.

Geneva entered the individual portion of the tournament riding all the momentum after leading all programs in the doubles competition.

The partnerships of Cara Birshbach-Melanie Burkhardt and Nora Burkhardt-Schneider won titles at fifth and first doubles, respectively.

Nora Burkhardt, the third seed at No. 3 singles, faced fellow doubles champion Shannon McElmeel from Neuqua Valley in the championship.

The elder Burkhardt made it a perfect weekend with 21-12 and 21-13 wins over the Wildcats’ top seed.

Schneider also earned the distinction of a flawless weekend with her fourth-singles triumph over Lake Park senior Drishti Patel.

Lauren Blayney, the top seed at fifth singles for Geneva, outlasted East Aurora junior Tia McClain to win 21-16, 16-21 and 21-14.

“It was a big motivation,” Blayney said of the Vikings’ maintaining their momentum from doubles play. “I had a big burst of energy at the end of the (championship) match. It was a really big weekend for us.”

Jessica Wicinski then made it back-to-back wins for the Vikings when she denied Metea Valley doubles champion Emily Dixon in three grueling sets.

“I wanted to do the best I could and leave everything on the court,” Wicinski said.

Elizabeth Kang, the Metea Valley junior who teamed with classmate Preetha Narayaran to capture the fourth doubles title, denied Geneva another individual title with her 21-14 and 21-17 victory at seventh singles over top-seeded May Ritsiri.

“(Winning the doubles title) gave me more confidence that I would survive in the (individual) tournament,” Kang said.

But the Vikings were far from finished.

Rachel Hinchman, in her first season as a senior, won the final singles crown at No. 10 by defeating yet another Metea Valley player, Amanda Ramsey, in a pair of nail-biters.

“I wanted to try something new,” Hinchman said. “It’s my senior year, so why not? Practicing against (the veteran players) has helped me improve a lot.”

“We came into this today knowing that we were the regular-season champion in the River Division,” Geneva coach Doug Ross said. “You still have to put it together in a tournament setting. It was fantastic.”

St. Charles North junior Amanda Garbarz was hit by a buzz-saw in the form of defending champion Wendy Yang of Neuqua Valley at second singles.

The North Stars’ lone finalist was rudely bumped from the championship, failing to garner double digits in either game.

“I have been playing well lately,” said Yang, who did not give up more than 10 points in any of her three matches. “I’m well-rested right now. My placement was (the difference). They were mostly in (the) back(court).”

“I kind of got frustrated with how I was playing,” Garbarz said. “It was much closer the first time we played (in the regular season).”

Senior Cassie Bossert, a two-time state qualifier for St. Charles East, was the Saints’ top performer with a fourth-place finish in doubles and third-place result in singles.

“My hopes are for the sectional,” Bossert said.

Neuqua Valley had the final individual titlist when Nicole Mosier needed three games to down Metea Valley fourth-seed Shannon Feeley at ninth singles.