BADMINTON WINNER HAS PROUD DAD

Mylene Keophaseut listed the simplest reason for longing to excel at badminton.

“I wanted to make my dad proud,” said the Mira Mesa High senior.

Rest assured, Aenoi Keophaseut was wearing a 100-watt smile late Saturday afternoon. Mylene won the San Diego Section girls singles title at Canyon Hills High, then after a 30-minute break defended her coed title with Nathan Chao.

“She’s crazy good,” said Chao. “It’s indescribable. She’s able to hold her own even if a guy’s on the other side of the net. She’s just as good.”

Keophaseut, seeded No. 1 in singles and mixed doubles, dropped just one singles set in four matches. In the finals, she defeated Kearny’s Niah Watson 21-13, 21-17.

Madison’s top-seeded Ricardo Ramirez earned the boys title, defeating upsetminded, seventh-seed Edward Yang of Torrey Pines 2115, 21-15.

In high school badminton, there are singles championships, boys and girls doubles, plus mixed doubles. Players may only enter two events. Keophaseut focused on doubles last year, winning the mixed with Chao and girls doubles with his sister, Rachel.

“I feel like the past four years I’ve really been avoiding singles,” said Keophaseut.

The boys doubles final was an all-patrick Henry affair with Anthony-hao Nguyen and Francis Hoang defeating Tim Tran and A.J. Teer 21-12, 30-29.

In girls doubles, Kearny’s Watson and Christine Kim dealt San Diego’s Gabriela Naranjo and Nico Maruyama a 21-13, 21-18 defeat.

In the mixed doubles championship, Keophaseut and Chau beat Henry’s Hoang and Jennifer Diep 2118, 21-13.

Mccormick speedy again

Another big track meet, another record for Aaliyah Mccormick.

The Scripps Ranch High senior lowered her section 100-meter hurdle record to a wind-legal 13.61 seconds at the Western League championships Friday night at University City High. It’s the third time this season the state leader has trimmed her own standard of 13.85.

She also captured the 100meter dash in a wind-aided 11.74 seconds and collected a personal-best 43.31 in winning the 300-meter hurdles.

Teammate Lexi Evans moved back into the state lead in the girls pole vault, clearing a personal-best 13 feet, 10 inches.

Freelance writer Steve Brand contributed to this report. Norcross is a freeance writer.