Lyons Township High School junior Mia Graziano needed a strong new doubles partner to return to the badminton state meet. She gladly turned to her past.
As freshmen, Graziano and junior Simone Brown were the junior varsity’s No. 1 doubles team. The reunion worked well from the start.
“We’ve obviously been really good together,” Graziano said. “Kind of [like 2022] but at this point I feel we’ve grown as players and individuals since it is our junior year. We’re more competitive than ever.”
The good friends earned their state berth by taking fourth at the York Sectional Thursday to advance with a top-four finish. The state meet is Friday and Saturday at DeKalb High School.
Graziano and Brown (22-19) were 3-2 at sectionals, winning all of their matches in two games, and were edged in the third-place match 14-21, 21-19, 23-21. Last season, Graziano was 1-2 at state and 14-24 overall with 2023 graduate Sofia Garcia.
“[Qualifying again] means a lot to me. I feel like I’m carrying on what we did last year so it’s just a really awesome opportunity to come back,” Graziano said. “It feels even better because we’ve been partners this year. We’ve played since day one. We’ve just persevered.”
Brown has been elated about her opportunities under first-year head coach Stephanie Spytek. The partners know each other well through badminton and playing tennis in the fall.
“It’s not necessarily that I thought we would [reunite] but I really wanted to because I know we make a good doubles team,” Brown said. “I’m absolutely thrilled. I’m the best at being mediocre at everything so the fact that we’re going to state, being better than mediocre is like a first for me and kind of fun. I achieved something.”
Senior Julia Senffner (17-14) and junior Audrey Shell (20-17), the Lions’ two 2023 state singles qualifiers, were one victory from advancing again with 3-2 and 2-3 records, respectively. The doubles team of senior Alyssa Thakadiyil and junior Pati Pawlikowski (18-18) was 1-2.
Senffner and Shell both won their first two matches. In their backdraw matches with state on the line, Senffner lost 21-14, 21-19 and Shell lost 21-15, 21-7. Senffner then beat Shell 21-11, 21-11 for fifth place and the state alternate spot if a qualifier is unable to compete.
“It was nice to end on a win, even if it was against my own teammate,” Senffner said. “I’m very proud of the fact that I did go [to state] and I truly put in the work.”
At 2023 state, Senffner was a top-24 singles finisher and Shell was 0-2. Both are better players with experience and offseason work but the sectional field also had improved.
“This sectional is definitely harder than last year’s,” Senffner said. “I know if I went to state I would still win against some girls and I know I’d make it far. Sometimes you just have to accept the deal.”
Senffner overcame an early-season ankle injury. Shell missed one week with tendinitis in her right elbow and returned for the West Suburban Conference Silver Division Meet, where the Lions finished third behind champion Hinsdale Central and York.
“My first couple of [sectional] matches, I was doing really good and really confident. [The elbow] kind of got sore as the day went on. I got more tired,” Shell said. “That was disappointing, obviously, but I have next year and I’m really going to train and try to get better.”
RBHS badminton
Senior Katie DeJesus came one victory short of qualifying for state in singles at the Naperville North Sectional Thursday.
In her backdraw match that determined state, DeJesus (20-14) lost 21-17, 21-8 to fourth-place West Aurora senior Denise Tellez and lost the fifth-place alternate match 22-20, 21-11 to finish 2-3. Tellez beat DeJesus 20-22, 21-12, 21-12 in the opening round.
Senior Emilia Orszulak (13-19) was 1-2. In doubles, senior Bella Annoreno and junior Luna McNally (14-17), junior Clare Ruska and sophomore Aubrey Kaczmarek (19-12), were both 0-2 with a bye.
