Southern Section Badminton : Tracy Hudson Wins Third Straight Title

Tracy Hudson and Thuy Nguyen of Garden Grove High School met, as expected, Saturday for a third straight time in the final of the Southern Section individual badminton championship. And, as expected, Hudson won her third girls’ singles title over Nguyen, 11-3, 11-0, at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

With a small but tense gathering of Garden Grove fans watching, Hudson and Nguyen seemed ready to stage a dramatic championship match. But Nguyen, leading by 3-1 in the first game, became her own worst enemy, committing five unforced errors and allowing Hudson to take a 6-3 lead.

Nguyen’s brief lapse provided an immediate edge for Hudson that was never relinquished. Hudson, the junior national champion, went on to score five straight points to win the game, and she followed with an aggressive, 11-point blitz in the second game.

“It seemed she wasn’t playing her game today,” Hudson said. “But being ahead 6-3 just got me going. My nerves were behind me and I played my game.”

Said Nguyen: “I didn’t have stable control of the bird (shuttlecock). I should have adjusted, but I haven’t played enough.”

Nguyen, a senior, has been playing only since April, when she transferred back to Garden Grove from Los Amigos. She had played for Garden Grove her first three years before her family moved within Los Amigos’ attendance boundaries.

“It’s hard playing her, but I’m used to it,” Nguyen said. “She’s been a good friend, and we care for each other a lot.”

In the boys’ singles semifinals, No. 2-seeded Thomas Sudibjo of Fullerton lost to No. 3-seeded Dharshan Weerasekera of South Hills, 15-8, 18-15. Weerasekera was defeated by top-seeded Martin Flores of Colton, 15-8, 15-9, in the championship.

Tonya Vandevort and Tu Le of Buena Park lost in the semifinals of the girls’ doubles to Denise Gudmundson and Donna MacDougall of Colton, 15-1, 15-9. Gudmundson and MacDougall lost to Angela and Christian Armandariz of Glendale, 15-9, 11-15, 15-12, in the final.

In mixed doubles, Hudson and Viet Ta lost to MacDougall and Flores in the semifinals, 15-5, 15-11.