ELAC badminton defeats ECC Compton Center 17-4

MONTEREY PARK, CA — The East Los Angeles College badminton team defeated ECC Compton Center 17-4 in South Coast Conference play on Friday, March 24 in the North Gym.

ELAC led 4-2 after the first rotation of singles matches.

ELAC’s points were from No. 1 Jean Mornelle Buenaflor (South El Monte High School), No. 2 Quan Zhang (China/Beihai HS), No. 3 Liting Wu (Fushui, China/Fushuierzhong HS) and No. 6 “Maggie” Haixia Wang (Hainan, China/Hainan Overseas Chinese HS).

Buenaflor improved to 9-3 overall in singles competition. Liting is 7-3 in her singles matches.

Compton scored its first-rotation points from its No. 4 and No. 5 singles players, Jamia Smith and Yixi Gonzalez, respectively, who each won exciting three-set matches.

The Huskies changed their rotation in for this match, which it will keep for the reminder of the season. “We are preparing for state, so we changed each of our doubles teams and singles (order),” said ELAC nine-year Coach Qui Nguy.

ELAC’s top two singles players, Buenaflor and Zhang, now playing together as the top ELAC doubles team. “They have good chemistry,” said Nguy. The ELAC No. 1 doubles team is the CCCAA defending state champions.

Compton is improved this year. “It has to do with the girls putting in a lot of work and the strength of the sophomores developing from the experience of being two-year players,” said Compton five-year Coach Tony Diaz.

ELAC has won four SCC titles under Nguy—2014, 2013 (Co-Champs), 2008 and 2007. Compton won the SCC title in 2006.

ELAC hosts El Camino College on Friday, March 31 at 2 p.m. Compton next plays at undefeated Pasadena City College on Wednesday, March 29 at 2 p.m.

SINGLES

No. 1 Buenaflor defeated Amanda Palacios 21-11, 21-10; def. Liliana Castellanos 21-10, 21-11

No. 2 Zhang def. Castellanos 21-4, 21-11; def. Palacios 21-8, 21-4

No. 3 Wu def. Olga Pardo 21-16, 21-15; def. Smith 21-8, 21-6

No. 4 “Vanessa” Yongxian Liang (Taishan, Guangdong/Taishan No. 1 HS) lost to Smith 13-21, 21-16, 15-21; lost to Palacios 11-21, 12-21

No. 5 “Chris” Peijie Li (Beijing, China/Chao Yang Foreign Language School) lost to Gonzalez 16-21, 21-4, 16-21; won by walkover.

No. 6 Wang won by walkover; lost to Gonzalez 7-21, 5-21.

DOUBLES

No. 1 Buenaflor/Zhang def. Palacios/Pardo 21-12, 21-9; def. Gonzalez/Smith 21-12, 21-10

No. 2 Wu/Li def. Gonzalez/Smith 21-15, 21-5; def. Palacios/Pardo 21-13, 21-18     

No. 3 Liang/Wang won by walkover

submitted by Tadzio Garcia