2004 Citi California Community Colleges
Commission on Athletics
Badminton Championship

YEH TWINS SEE DOUBLE: TWO STRAIGHT DOUBLES TITLES

(PASADENA)-Observers were entertained by The Divine Secrets of the Yeh-Yeh Sisterhood May 14-15 at the Citi 2004 COA California Community Colleges Badminton Individual Championships.

It was a double feature and the Irvine Valley twins, Rulan and Rulien Yeh, completed their second consecutive undefeated season by capturing the individual doubles championship at Pasadena City College's Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium Saturday.

The back-to-back individual doubles state titles for the Yehs complement the team medals each received the past two years in helping Irvine Valley to state team championships in 2003 and 2004.

The Yehs most difficult match over the weekend was in the semifinals against fellow IVC teammates Brita Kjalstrom and Jenna Chiu. Yeh-Yeh downed Kjalstrom-Chiu, 15-6, 15-8. In the finals, the Yehs made short work in routing Skyline's team of Stephanie Cheung and Gloria Cheung (no relation), 15-2, 15-2.

"Over the past two seasons, we learned to just cover each other so well," Rulien Yeh said. "We practice doubles all the time and that's our specialty. We don't practice singles play much. I think the second title was easier for us. We expected to win."

Rulien Yeh said her sister's loss to Stephanie Cheung in the individual singles final fueled the pair to beat Cheung in the doubles final.

"She's a great singles player, but doubles is a different game," Rulien said. "We had some incentive (from losing singles). We also had our teammates from Irvine shouting support for us. When you have others pulling for you, you want to play better for them."

After gaining a bye in the first round, the Yehs blanked City College of San Francisco's team of Sandy Myint and Maggie Leung, 15-0, 15-0, in the second round.

"They were our best players for two seasons and it was joy watching them in action," Irvine Valley Coach Martin McGrogran said of the twins. "They are dominating when playing together. We will miss their spirited attitude. Next year it's back to reality."

The Yehs never lost a team match for the Lasers, who were 31-0 in their two seasons.

In the consolation doubles final, Lena Zeng and Joann Ko of East LA defeated San Francisco's Deborah Jones and Ashley Reid, 17-14, 15-10.

2004 CITI CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES
COMMISSION ON ATHLETICS
BADMINTON CHAMPIONSHIPS MAY 14-15
INDIVIDUAL DOUBLES RESULTS

FIRST ROUND
Sandy Myint-Maggie Leung (San Francisco) def. Fiona Tse-Mable Lihu (East LA), 15-8, 15-2;
Sabine Kuenstler-Tomoe Okaguchi (El Camino) def. Deborah Jones-Ashlie Reid (San Francisco), 15-9, 12-15, 15-6;
Lisa Payte-Celine Sin (Skyline) def. Nelly Ma-Nina Ruedas (Pasadena), 15-8, 15-4;
Noi Phabmixay-Regina Tran (Orange Coast) def. Lena Zeng-Joann Ko (East LA), 15-3, 15-12

QUARTERFINALS
Rulan Yeh-Rulien Yeh (Irvine Valley) def. Myint-Leung, 15-0, 15-0;
Brita Kjalstrom-Jenna Chiu (Irvine Valley) def. Kuenstler-Okaguchi, 15-0, 15-6;
Hahn Nguyen-Yoko Suzuki (Grossmont) def. Payte-Sin, 15-5, 15-7;
Stephanie Cheung-Gloria Cheung (Skyline) def. Phabmixay-Tran, 15-5, 15-7

SEMIFINALS
Yeh-Yeh def. Kjalstrom-Chiu, 15-6, 15-8;
Cheung-Cheung def. Nguyen-Suzuki, 8-15, 15-9, 15-10

FINALS
Yeh-Yeh def. Cheung-Cheung, 15-2, 15-2
(Rulien and Rulan Yeh, Irvine Valley, 2004 Doubles Champions)

CONSOLATION
Jones-Reid def. Tse-Lihu, 15-11, 15-6; Zeng-Ko over Ma-Ruedas;
Zeng-Ko def. Jones-Reid, 17-14, 15-10
(Lena Zeng/Joann Ko, East LA, 2004 Consolation Doubles Champions)

Results provided by Robert Lewis, California Community College Sports Information Association