Rams set sights on historic state title

By Aaron TurnerThe Guardsman

For the second season in a row,  the Northern California Women’s Badminton Finals were a formality for  the most dominant program at City College this year.

The  undefeated Rams aim to make history in Pasadena by capturing their first  ever state championship, a feat that has never been accomplished by any  Northern California school.

The Rams, who were the host team for  this year’s NorCal Finals, held at the Wellness Center on May 8, were  able to secure #1 seeds for both doubles and singles. They will send a  total of six players to Pasadena City College, the site of this year’s  State Championships.

After the matches were over, Fred Glosser  and Coni Staff, the teams co-head coaches, were all smiles inside the  Wellness Center.

“I’m very pleased with today’s results,” Staff  said. “I feel that we have put ourselves in the best possible position  to win at state. I think we consider ourselves the favorite to win it  all, and rightfully so.”

It would be hard to argue with Staff’s  assessment, as the Rams began the season loaded with experience players.  As state runner-up last season, they fell just short to host Irvine  Valley College, a team that boasted four Olympic trained badminton  players. This year, the playing field will be much more even, Staff  said.

The Rams will compete in the State Finals which begin on  May 13. The individual player competitions will then take place that  weekend, May 15 - 16.

“It’s going to be between us and Pasadena  this year for the team championship,” Staff said. “While we haven’t seen  their number one player, a coach has told us that we match up with them  very well strategically.”

Strategy aside, City College’s best  weapons may be their sophomores, five of whom were at Pasadena last  year.

“They’ve all been there, they know what to expect,” Glosser  said of his team following the NorCal finals, adding that he persuaded  sophomore Maggie Choy to return for her second season after a four year  hiatus from badminton, with the hopes of winning a state title before he  retired.

Choy last played for the Rams in 2006, before leaving  City College until this season. Despite that much time away, she stepped  in nicely as the Rams’ number one player in both singles and doubles.

“Coach  Glosser wanted to form a good women’s team this year, and win a state  championship,” Choy said in regards to her returning. For Choy, she  couldn’t have made a better decision.

“This year was just so  fun,” she said. “We have all known each other for a long time on the  team, and we have such great coaches, so I am happy to be back.”

“Maggie  sets a great example and a great work ethic for the rest of the team,”  Staff said. She also praised the work of sophomore Wendy Zhu, who is  seeded #2 for State, and was the number two singles player all season.

“Wendy  is always the first to practice and the last to leave,” Staff said.  “She is a huge reason why this team is so disciplined and so well  conditioned this year.”

Having seen her team come up just short  last year, Zhu is yet another battle-tested player the Rams have at  their disposal.

“I think we have an even better chance this  year,” Zhu said. “We’ve all been through tournaments before, and have  been on out there on the court before, so experience definitely helps.”