Carlmont’s coed varsity badminton team ended its last home game of the season with a 26-4 victory against the Burlingame Panthers on April 25.
“My personal goal this season was to win more and lose less, and then I won more and I lost less,” said senior Paul Zhou.
Zhou and senior Emma Yin helped contribute to the team’s overall match score by winning their doubles game with a score of 21-15 in the first set and 21-18 in the second set.
Badminton events consist of 15 matches. In each game, the team that wins the best of two sets wins. Depending on the seeding of the players, these matches can be worth one, two, or three points. Each team’s matches are combined and then capped at 30 points.
The Scots began their spring season intending to win as many matches as possible, and they successfully accomplished their goal, staying undefeated throughout the entire season and winning the Peninsula Athletic League finals. According to sophomore Ria Smilovitz, the overall team goal this year was to win the PAL finals due to having lost by just one point during the 2023 spring season.
One of the main reasons for the continued successes of the team, according to Smilovitz, was the bonding that often happened on the way to and from matches. The Carlmont team’s strong sense of community helped the players play to their fullest during their matches.
“We went to Aragon to play our final away game, and on the way there and on the way back we had a whole karaoke session on the bus. That was a really, really fun memory and a great bonding experience,” Smilovitz said.
According to junior Colin Tsai, the Scots hope to remain undefeated next season, and they will continue to support each other, both on and off the court, while focusing on improving their discipline for next season.
“We won a lot this season. My favorite moment has been tonight, senior night, and just seeing everyone play. For any future players or people trying out, my advice is to always try your best,” Tsai said.
