A year after taking up the sport, Marion Donald is the top singles badminton player in the IAAM. The Friends School sophomore bested Roland Park School's Christine Chang in the finals at Garrison Forest School Friday.
Samatha Constantine (left) and Katie Hershner went out in style for IAAM champ Notre Dame Prep, winning the doubles' crown in their final competition together. Constantine will attend Towson University this fall while Hershner is headed to Maryland.
by Derek ToneyLast year, Marion Donald decided to trade in a lacrosse stick for a badminton racket. Her decision paid off Friday afternoon with a championship.
The sophomore from Friends School won the singles’ crown at the IAAM championships at Garrison Forest School. Donald defeated Christine Chang from Roland Park Country School in straight sets.
Notre Dame Prep continued its reign, claiming its third consecutive team championship. The duo of Samatha Constantine and Katie Hershner sparked the Blazers’ run, winning the doubles’ title over Stephanie Martin and Sarah Mohan from Institute of Notre Dame in straight sets.
It was the perfect ending for Constantine and Hershner, who’ve been playing doubles since their freshman season. Last year, they were runners-up to Friends’ Eva Trust and Emily Carabelas.
“I think it was having a strategy,” said Constantine, who will attend Towson University in the fall. “We know what we want to do and how to place shots.”
After winning the regular season crown, Notre Dame Prep capped a 12-1 season with the tourney championship for coach Therese Maguire and assistant Christine Jarcewski. The rest of team include seniors Lindsay Ercole, Rebecca Guthrie, Karlie Hartman and Carly Somerville; juniors Alex Del Barco, Lauren Frantz, Brooke Jordan, and Jo Rubino; sophomores Beth Adolph, Kelsey Brinkman, Jazz Britton, Michelle Bystry, Julia Markovitz, Courtney Norjen and Amy Scheel; and freshmen Lauren Anderson, Cara Finnegan, Caroline Goode, Jen Guthrie, Maggie McLoughlin, Helen Neskow and Mae Tunney.
After playing exhibitions last year, Donald raised her profile as well as her game this spring, knocking last year’s runner-up, Caroline Gravel from Bryn Mawr School in the semifinals. Donald, who plays with the Loch Raven Badminton Club, isn’t taking her good fortune for granted.
“I guess I hope to do it again, but there’s always opportunity for other girls playing, older and younger to beat me,” said Donald. “I’m perfectly okay with that.”
“She’s an amazing player for her age,” said Friends coach Tom Buck. “Her drops are good, her court coverage is good, she plays club in addition to high school. She’s just a real strong player.”
Another promising sophomore, Leah Nielsen defeated senior Jenna Blewis in an all-Friends finale in the singles’ consolation bracket. IND’s Jennifer Sykes and Simone Phillips outlasted Anna Statkiewicz from Roland Park Country and Jessie Simmons to win the doubles’ consolation crown.
Donald and Gravel were selected to the league’s all-star team along with IND’s Madison McCann and Mia Puopolo from John Carroll. Hershner and Constantine led the doubles’ selection along with Friends’ Alana Naslund and Sarah Gartner, Garrison Forest’s Emily Gorman and Katie Yancey, and Gregory Flanigan and Ann Headley from Bryn Mawr.
IAAM Badminton Championships
At Garrison Forest School
SEMIFINALSSinglesDonald (Friends School) def. Gravel (Bryn Mawr School)
Chang (Roland Park Country School) def. Puopolo (John Carroll)
Singles consolation bracketBlewis (Friends) def. J. Mitchell (Bryn Mawr)
Nielsen (Friends) def. Howard (St. Paul’s School)
DoublesHershner/Constantine (Notre Dame Prep) def. Gorman/Yancey (Garrison Forest)
Martin/Mohan (Institute of Notre Dame) def. Whedbee/Musaka (Garrison Forest)
Doubles consolation bracketSykes/Phillips (IND) def. Abrams/Fowler (Roland Park)
Statkiewicz/Simmons (Roland Park) vs. Wahl/Chaisson (Friends)
FINALSSingles: Donald def. Chang, 21-13 and 21-14
Singles consolation: Nielsen def. Blewis, 21-16 and 21-11
Doubles: Hershner/Constantine def. Martin/Mohan, 21-10 and 21-19
Doubles consolation: Sykes/Phillips def. Statkiewicz/Simmons , 21-12, 13-21 and 21-17
Team champion: Notre Dame Prep