Fremd wins 10th straight sectional

Fremd junior Ji Young Seo said she was one of the last to know she would have a new doubles partner for the badminton sectional it hosted Thursday night in Palatine.

But Seo and sophomore Kelly Owens played like they’ve known each other on the court for years instead of just days. They won the sectional title 21-17, 21-13 over teammates Shannon Fitzgerald and Mayu Sugikawa as both teams advanced to next weekend’s state tournament at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

“We had never really played before but we trained really hard this week,” Seo said of the pairing put together by coach Bob Hanson.

“We kind of clicked right away. It was surprising because we had never even played together during practice.”

But it almost seemed like a Fremd practice in its own gym as on the court next to the all-Vikings doubles battle was another one for the singles title between freshman Angela Wu and junior Annie Huang.

Wu beat Huang 21-12, 21-17 as Fremd rolled to its 10th straight sectional crown with 18 points.

“It’s always good to see a sea of green in the finals,” Hanson said.

And it didn’t take Owens and Seo long to see why Hanson made the change with his doubles teams.

“Already we know each other so well and how each other plays,” Seo said.

“I think it was a good decision by the coaches and I’m glad I’m playing with her this week,” Owens said. “It’s been really fun. It’s a change but we clicked right away and I’m looking forward to going downstate.”

So is Wu, who pulled off a rarity by winning a sectional crown as a freshman. She rebounded after finishing second at No. 1 singles in last weekend’s Mid-Suburban League tournament to Palatine’s Maggie Van Grondelle.

“I learned how to handle the crowds and the pressure because that was the first time I faced it,” Wu said. “It made me really nervous and I kind of cracked under pressure.”

Huang, a junior, will make her third trip to state after making it in doubles on the 2009 state champion and last year’s third-place finisher.

“(Wu) did really well and today she was a lot more aggressive,” Huang said. “It was a little harder playing her because she knows my shots really well and I know what she’s going to do. It’s more of a mental game than anything else.”

At New Trier: Palatine junior Maggie Van Grondelle is going to state for the third straight year and will be joined by first-time qualifiers Tomoyo Tsurumi and Stephanie Anderson.

Van Grondelle and Anderson won the doubles title 21-11, 21-16 over New Trier’s Claire Hindsley and Vicki Ho.

“I thought we did great and I’m really excited to go,” Tsurumi said.

“We got into a rhythm and played really well,” Van Grondelle said after the Pirates finished second to New Trier as a team.

Anderson, a senior, finished fourth in singles with a 21-11, 21-19 loss in the third-place match to Hersey’s Jenn Hall. Anderson played only in exhibition matches as a freshman and was at No. 8 singles as a junior.

“To be able to do well at sectionals and get to state is just mind-boggling,” Anderson said.

Hoffman Estates’ doubles team of seniors Amruta Bhatt and Maiko Matsubara took third to qualify for the second straight year.

At Glenbard East: Schaumburg senior Sara Partington won the singles title to advance to state for the second straight year.

Elk Grove had the doubles champions of senior Jenna Ciesielski and junior Sierra Kane. Seniors Rachel Kaim and Kerry Trotter finished fourth to qualify.

Elk Grove and Schaumburg tied for second behind Glenbard East.