The UC High Badminton Team worked hard to finish the season strong and set up next years team for success. The team ended with an overall record of 3-4, placing fifth in the Western League.

   The team has either been runner up or League Champions for the past 4 years, winning back to back League titles in 2015 and 2016. Additionally, the team won the Division Two CIF Tournament in 2017, according to a high school sports statistics website (maxpreps.com).

    A new season brings along many new goals to strive for. Coach Jordana Tu stated, “Our goal for the rest of the year was to rebuild the team so we can come back stronger next year.” Senior Captain Arynn Agustino added, “[Another] one of our goals was to make it to the quarter or semi-finals in CIF play.” Agustino mentioned that going into CIF with a losing record would put the Badminton Team at a low seed — forcing them to have to play a tougher top seed in the earlier rounds of the tournament.

   According to Agustino, at UC High, she was number one for the girls team singles event. Senior Captain Subeom Kang was number one for the boys team singles. Seniors Jiung Song and Agustino were the top mixed doubles, and Kang and Song were the top boys doubles. Junior Erica Marcelino and Sophomore Katryna Bourommavong were the top girls doubles team.

      The team captains recognize that, this season, they’ve had to step up and take on necessary responsibilities to help the team perform at an optimal level. Kang stated, “As a captain, I had to communicate and encourage my team a lot. I also had to organize and motivate [my teammates] at practice.” Agustino added, “In order to be a good captain for my team, I try to be a good role model and keep my teammates in check.”

   In order to ensure that their last high school badminton season was a success, the seniors led by example.  Agustino explained, “We always made sure to tell each other to just have fun and try our best.” She added that, as a senior, it’s been important to emphasize sportsmanship as an important quality, setting an example for younger athletes who will continue the team’s legacy in the upcoming years. Kang added, “We tried our best on the court and we tried to have no regrets after the matches.”

   Junior Ian Tom said, “Even though our team is not the best, it could be in a few years. It is still fun because we are a family.” Junior Brandon Sanders added, “I really look forward to being a senior on the team next year, because I will be one of the better and more experienced players.”