Badminton: Star athletes shine at CCS

No. 1 badminton singles player, junior Jeffrey Kuo and boys’ tennis No. 1 undefeated singles player senior Nikhil Jayashankar dominated their CCS competitors and each took first place in their respective tournaments.

“My matches were pretty easy, even easier than I thought they would be,” Jayashankar said. “I’m used to playing matches but it was fun to play in a different sort of tournament that I’ve never played in before.”

Jayashankar’s 6-0 and 6-3 wins in straight sets over Ben Vierra from Stevenson were even more impressive given he had to play with an injured pinkie finger.

“It was a bit different getting used to that,” Jayashankar said. “I just had to be careful not to bend my pinkie too much and use my other fingers more.”

Jayashankar attributes his success this year to the efforts he has put into the sport since he was nine years old. According to Jayashankar, his personal practice schedule consists of over 20 hours of practice per week and private physical training three times a week.

“I want to start [on my college team] as a freshman next year, so I need to keep practicing,” said Jayashankar, who will be attending Northwestern University in the fall. “I have goals for myself in college that i need practice to reach.”

While Jayashankar was still playing in NorCal tournaments, he was ranked second in 18 and under singles. He currently ranks 51st nationally as well.

His teammates recognize him as an outstanding player who leads the team well.

“He’s got leadership skills and a commanding presence. He won the [league] sportsmanship award this year.” senior teammate Chris Han said. “He’s strict and yells at us sometimes, but in the end he’s a chill and fun guy.”

This year was Kuo’s third competing in CCS. Kuo defeated his toughest opponent of the season, Gary Wang from Monta Vista, to take firstProxy-Connection: keep-alive
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lace.

“My stamina was pretty bad but speed and power gave me the upper hand,” Kuo said.

Kuo has competed in several state-sanctioned tournaments since he started playing badminton in sixth grade. Just last year, Kuo received third place at a national tournament and first place at the Junior International Trials.

“Right when I started everyone was really good,” Kuo said. “It seemed pretty hard to become a top level player.”

Kuo’s hard work and training have helped him become a phenomenal athlete. His talents have earned him the respect of his competitors and teammates.

“He has been training for a long time and his body height and structure are perfect for badminton,” sophomore teammate Derek Chao said. ”He’s very chill, especially when we play doubles together. Life is good.”

Both star racket players have shown promise for future athletic success. Kuo aspires to qualify for the Olympics while Jayashankar hopes to start high in the Northwestern lineup and qualify for the Men’s NCAA tournament.

“Tennis is just a hobby that I’ll always have,” Jayashankar said. “It’s a sport that I’ll always be able to play and enjoy.”