2004 Citi California Community Colleges
Commission on Athletics
Badminton Championship

FRESHMAN CHEUNG TAKES SINGLES

(PASADENA)-The state team championship match a day earlier foreshadowed the inevitable Saturday at the 2004 Citi California Community Colleges Commission on Athletics Badminton Individual Championships.

Freshman Stephanie Cheung, from Skyline College, duplicated her feat of beating the Yeh twins from Irvine Valley College in the semifinals and finals to win the individual singles championship at Pasadena City College's Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium.

Cheung downed Rulien Yeh, 11-8, 11-0, in the semis, then went on to an easy 11-4, 11-1 victory over Rulan Yeh in the finals. In the team championships Friday (won by Irvine Valley, 18-3), Cheung got past Rulien Yeh, 11-9, 11-0, and Rulan Yeh, 11-4, 11-2, in singles play.

From Hong Kong, Cheung was the only player to defeat either Yeh in singles during the 2004 season.
"I run fast to reach shots," Cheung said of her keys to winning. "I've been playing badminton for about six years and I rely on the fundamentals."

Cheung's pattern of play developed in quick and easy second set wins to finish off her opponents.
"I feel like we were testing each other in the first games," Cheung said of both Yeh sisters. "During the breaks, I reset and then I went after every shot (in the second games). Playing against them in the team match also helped."
Skyline Coach Jan Fosberg was excited for Cheung's tournament win.

"Stephanie showed great stamina, which is something I was a little concerned with going into the championships," Fosberg said. "She played with great confidence in her abilities. She was awesome in the finals match."

Skyline also produced the consolation singles champion in Celine Sin, the team's No. 2 player. Sin, a freshman, defeated Pasadena's Nelly Ma in the consolation finals, 9-11, 11-5, 11-2. Ma had won a marathon over East Los Angeles player Fiona Tse, 7-11, 11-6, 13-12, to reach the finals.

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

FIRST ROUND
Kien Nguyen (San Diego Mesa) def. Nina Ruedas (Pasadena), 13-10, 11-4; Noi Phabmixay (Orange Coast) def. Fiona Tse (East LA), 11-6, 11-0;
Julie Jensen (Fresno) def. Yeh Seng (Pasadena), 11-3, 11-13, 11-3;
Ashley Reid (San Francisco) def. Nelly Ma (Pasadena), 11-0, 11-6;
Lisa Payte (Skyline) def. Sabine Kuenstler (El Camino), 11-6, 11-5;
Deborah Jones (San Francisco) def. Zuzana Kudelova (LA City), 11-2, 11-7;
Brita Kjalstrom (Irvine Valley) def. Celine Sin (Skyline), 11-3, 11-8;
Thu Do (Mission) def. Pavidy Sing (San Diego Mesa), 8-11, 11-1, 11-1

SECOND ROUND
Rulan Yeh (Irvine Valley) def. K. Nguyen, 13-10, 11-4;
Tomoe Okaguchi (El Camino) def. Phabmixay, 11-6, 11-8;
Lena Zeng (East LA) def. Jensen, 11-5, 11-9;
Hanh Nguyen (Grossmont) def. Reid, 11-0, 11-6;
Sandy Myint (San Francisco) def. Payte, 11-6, 11-2;
Rulien Yeh (Irvine Valley) def. Jones, 11-0, 11-0;
Yoko Suzuki (Grossmont) def. Kjalstrom, 12-13, 11-4, 11-9;
Stephanie Cheung (Skyline) def. Do, 11-2, 11-1

QUARTERFINALS
Rulan Yeh def. Okaguchi, 11-3, 11-0;
H. Nguyen def. Zeng, 11-4, 11-5;
Rulien Yeh def. Myint, 11-6, 11-4;
Cheung def. Suzuki, 11-0, 11-2

SEMIFINALS
Rulan Yeh def. H. Nguyen, 11-5, 11-3; Cheung def. Rulien Yeh, 11-8, 11-0

FINALS
Cheung def. Rulan Yeh, 11-4, 11-1
(Stephanie Cheung, Skyline, 2004 Singles Champion)

CONSOLATION
Tse def. Ruedas, 11-3, 11-4; Ma def. Sang, 11-1, 13-10; Kuenstler def. Kudelova, default; Sin def. Sing, 11-3, 11-2; Ma def. Tse, 7-11, 11-6, 13-12;
Sin def. Kuenstler (walkover); Sin def. Ma, 9-11, 11-5, 11-2
(Celin Sin, Skyline, 2004 Consolation Singles Champion)

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