ALL-COUNTY BADMINTON PLAYERS OF THE YEAR : There’s No Stopping Pak, Poyyak This Summer : Girls: After a difficult transition from doubles, Garden Grove junior has come on strong in singles.

Summer is the time when badminton players can leave the confines of the gymnasium and venture to the great outdoors. Well, at least most of them.

There is no time rest period for Garden Grove’s Judy Pak, The Times Orange County girls’ badminton player of the year.

A week after leading the Argonauts to the Southern Section Division I finals, the junior was readying her racket for the string of summer junior tournaments that start in San Diego.

“I want to play during the summer because it’s really fun,” Pak said.

And the other reason:

“My goal is to be the CIF champion (next year),” Pak said, “so I think I should continue to play to improve.”

Pak already has made great strides this season. During her first two seasons for the Argonauts, she played only doubles.

Last season, Pak and her partner made it to the semifinals at the Southern Section individual tournament.

But this season, the Argonauts needed Pak where she could have an effect--at No. 1 singles.

“Judy is a dominant player,” Argonaut Coach Vicki Toutz said. “She’s a lot stronger than any of the other girls’ player I have. (Having her play singles), she can score two points in a match.”

The adjustment from doubles to singles was difficult for Pak.

“In doubles you are playing with your partner and only have to work half the court,” Pak said. “In singles you have to cover the whole court and must rely a lot more on your footwork. The first time I played, it was really hard and I got really tired. Later on I got better.”

In her first season at singles, Pak was good enough to post a 46-8 record, win the Garden Grove League individual title, reach the second round of the Southern Section individuals and lead the Argonauts to the team finals.

In the first three rounds of the playoffs, Pak was undefeated in singles with two crucial victories in the Argonauts’ 10-9 semifinal victory over La Puente Nogales.

However, at the team finals May 25, Pak’s inexperience at singles showed. She lost both matches to Alhambra Keppel’s Annie Tran and Nhi Phung.

“It was apparent when Judy played Keppel that there are some weaknesses in her game,” Toutz said.

Despite it all, Pak is pleased with performance this season.

“To me this was a very successful season,” she said. “Last year we had a stronger team than this year but everyone tried really hard and we made it to the finals, so I think we were really successful.”

And for herself?

“I was very happy with the season because this is my first year playing singles. I didn’t expect to win league and go to CIF.”

Anyway, she has the entire summer to prepare for next season.

All-County Badminton Team

FIRST TEAM

Name (Boys) School Yr. Season highlight Jerome Poyyak Corona del Mar Jr. 28-2, reached individual semifinals Edward Quan Costa Mesa Sr. 22-0 in league, reached individual quarterfinals Jeremy Sandy Marina Sr. 29-4, reached semifinals in doubles Alan Huang Marina Jr. Teamed with Sandy to reach doubles semifinals

Name (Girls) School Yr. Season highlight Judy Pak Garden Grove Jr. 46-8, was Garden Grove league champion Ying Chansawangpuvana Katella Jr. 40-7, reached individual quarterfinals Pam Tang La Habra Sr. 34-4, reached individual quarterfinals Kristy Nguyen Costa Mesa Sr. 18-4 in league, reached individual quarterfinals

SECOND TEAM

Name (Boys) School Yr. Season highlight Dung Cu Garden Grove Jr. 38-6, led team to Division I finals David Nguyen Garden Grove Jr. Teamed with Cu to win league doubles title Mike Truong Estancia Sr. 12-2, reached quarterfinals in doubles Allan Tram Estancia Sr. Teamed with Truong to reach doubles quarterfinals

Name (Girls) School Yr. Season highlight Thuy Nguyen Santa Ana Sr. 29-3, reached individual quarterfinals Vo Nguyet Bolsa Grande Sr. 10-1, reached individual doubles semifinals Hoang Nguyet Bolsa Grande Jr. She and Vo Nguyet reached doubles semifinals Michelle Bui Marina Jr. 25-4, reached individual second round