Road to Championship Goes Through Villa Park

Denny Oenar of Sunny Hills still remembers his victory over Loara’s Jon Guerin last season to win the boys’ singles championship in the Freeway League badminton finals.

Oenar had played Guerin twice earlier in the season and had lost both times to the two-time defending league champion. However, it was a different story in their third meeting, and Oenar smiled as he recalled the final score, 15-3, 7-15, 15-7.

“That was a big win for me,” Oenar said. “I didn’t try hard enough the first two times I played him. I didn’t have any self-confidence. But I trained really hard before the finals and I knew going in I could beat him.”

The victory over Guerin gave Oenar even more confidence, and he advanced to the quarterfinals of the Southern Section individuals before losing to third-seeded Danny Gibbs of Manhattan Beach Mira Costa.

This season he is looking for more. Not only does Oenar, a junior, want to defend his league title, he is yearning for a Southern Section championship. However, the road to that crown is paved with four of the best male badminton players in the country, Villa Park’s Mike Chansawangpuvana, Eric Go, Jonathan Taryoto and Raymond Wong, all ranked in the top 20 in men’s singles by USA Badminton.

Go, a transfer from Colorado Springs, Colo., is ranked eighth in the country and won the under-17 title at the U.S. Open. Taryoto is ranked 14th. Chansawangpuvana, the Southern Section champion, is No. 15 and Wong is No. 17.

“I know they are all really good,” Oenar said. “But I still have a chance.”

Oenar, who moved to Fullerton in 1998 from Indonesia, has been playing badminton since he was 6. His father moved Oenar and three older sisters to the United States, hoping to improve their education. Oenar lives with his sisters, while his mother and father travel between Indonesia and the U.S. for work.

“He has improved so much each year,” said Sunny Hills Coach Randy Wellen. “He is so much better than anyone else we have, and he just keeps getting better.”

Other players to watch:

Boys--Kevin Chau (Fullerton), Andy Chiu (Kennedy), Evan Davis (La Habra), John Kim (Sunny Hills), Scott Kim (Troy), Mike Stoltzman (La Habra), David Wang (Kennedy).

Girls--Alicia Dang (Fullerton), Lauren Goins (La Habra), Melisa Kiang (Cypress), Sharon Lee (Sunny Hills), Debbie Lo (Troy), Mysinh Ly (Troy), Linh Mai (Fullerton), Mesinee Mangkalakiri (Villa Park), Nhu Nguyen (Katella), Ha Pham (Katella), Rosanne Rodriguez (Fullerton), Isis Sunwoo (Sunny Hills), Kristen Torres (Fullerton), Aya Westbrook (Cypress), Megan Wong (Cypress).