The Sunnyslope Badminton team competed in Individual and Doubles State on Saturday, October 25, and team state throughout the week of October 26, finishing 2nd in the state, according to Head Coach Sarah Schlesinger.
The team sent Seniors Layton Hunter, Bryn Daley, Brianna Valente, and Zoe Staten to compete in the individual tournament.
Hunter finished in third place, losing to Desert Vista’s Lian Pan, while Daley made it to the second round.
Valente and Staten competed as a doubles team, making it to the top eight.
During the team state tournament, the team made it to the finals, only to fall to Hamilton.
The team ended the regular season with a record of 13-1, recording their only loss against Hamilton.
The team, which has competed in the finals of the state tournament three years in a row, is a well-run machine.
Part of what contributes to their success happens during their practices.
“Schles’s coaching and all of the conditioning she makes us do [helps us],” said Daley.
All of the time spent practicing has brought the athletes together as more than teammates, but as friends.
“I love my teammates and the seniors that are with me now,” said Hunter.
Being friends also doubles as an incentive to play well.
Daley said, “Most of us are in other classes together and friends outside, so it just makes me want to put more in so you don’t let your friends and teammates down.”
Whether it be in singles or doubles, the girls are always uplifting each other.
“Brianna [and I] work really well together because she’s probably my closest friend on the team, so I think our chemistry is better than anyone else I’ve worked with,” said Staten.
Even for newcomers, the energy and deep relationship the badminton team radiates is unavoidable.
“I really liked it. I love everyone on the team,” said Junior Jackie Morales, “We’ve done a bunch of team bonding with the team and the coach.”
In the team state competition, they defeated Liberty, Skyline, and Perry to secure their spot in the finals.
Although it didn’t turn out the way they wanted, it was still a memorable moment for the girls.
“Win or lose, being able to play my last ever badminton game in the state championship with some of my best friends was the best way to finish off my badminton experience,” said Valente.
They were determined to try their hardest and make the most out of the time they had left.
Before they started the team state competition, Daley said, “We’re just trying to focus on the games that we know we can win that we might have lost last time, and then if we get some of those games up and get our doubles up and try to take it all the way.”
This surely happened this year, and the schools saw this in effect, as Sunnyslope didn’t drop a single game against Liberty and Skyline during the postseason.
With the work ethic and dedication that Sunnyslope Badminton has, it’s clear that a first-place trophy is in the future for the Vikings.