Sea Kings’ Poyyak Top-Seeded at Badminton Championships

Corona del Mar’s Jerome Poyyak, The Times Orange County 1994 player of the year, is the top-seeded player in boys’ singles at the Southern Section badminton individual championships, which begin at 1 p.m. today at Cypress College.

Katella’s Ying Chansawangpavana and Garden Grove’s Judy Pak, The Times girls’ player of the year last season, are seeded Nos. 1 and 2 in girls’ singles. Ed Soetanto from Katella is seeded No. 2 in boys’ singles.

In boys’ doubles, Garden Grove’s David Nguyen and Dung Cu are seeded No. 1 and La Quinta’s Patrick Lam and Dat Nguyen are No. 2.

In girls’ doubles, La Quinta’s Diep Nguyen and Quyen Nguyen are top-seeded; La Habra’s Kameron Schambeck and Deidre Vivanco are No. 2.

In mixed doubles, Soetanto and Chansawangpavana are seeded No. 1 and Corona del Mar’s Poyyak and Kerri Smith are No. 2.

The semifinals and championships begin at 1 p.m. Saturday.

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The Southern Section track and field Division III prelims begin at 3 p.m. today at Long Beach Veterans Stadium.

Teams from the Garden Grove, Freeway, Orange and Pacific Coast leagues will compete; the top nine finishers in each event advance to the section finals next Saturday at Cerritos College.

The Division I prelims will begin at noon Saturday at Veterans Stadium, with teams from the Sunset League set to compete.

UC Riverside will play host to the Division II prelims beginning at noon Saturday; the Division IV prelims begin at noon at Arcadia High.

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Tom Chalberg of Moraga Campolindo High and Susan Erpelding of San Diego Academy of Our Lady of Peace have been named the CIF scholar-athletes of the year.

Orange County finalists for the award were Carrie Caulkins (Esperanza), Kimberly Cobb (San Clemente), Susan Prchal (Mater Dei), Benjamin Breig (Esperanza), David Lee (Sunny Hills) and Jimmy Lee (Tustin).

The winners, who will receive $2,500 college scholarships from Toyota, will be presented with awards at the State track and field championships June 3 at Cerritos College.