Skyline's Candolada, PCC's Yao, SDCC's Ngai, advance in state badminton singles and doubles

Skyline's doubles pair of Paola Candolada and Katie Tan in action during the CCCAA State Championship Individuals tournament at Pasadena City College on Friday, photo by Richard Quinton.

May 10, 2019

Singles Championship Bracket
Doubles Championship Bracket
Singles Consolation Bracket
Doubles Consolation Bracket

Friday Photo Gallery

(PASADENA) -- Three players advanced to the semifinals in both singles and doubles at Friday's CCCAA Women's Badminton State Individual Championships held at Pasadena City College's Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium.

Skyline's Paola Candolada, a North #2 seed, and top South seeds in Pasadena's Xiaoming Yao and San Diego City's Sum Yin Ngai have each qualified for Saturday's semifinals in singles and doubles and will be joined in the singles by Fresno's Uyen Napier.

Candolada, who defeated Fresno's Stephanie Tran in the quarterfinals, 22-20, 21-11, will face PCC's Yao, who survived a 3-set marathon over San Diego Mesa's Mikayla Aguilar, 21-16, 15-21, 21-12 in one semi. Yao also made it to last year's semifinals before being eliminated as a freshman. In the other semi, Napier, fresh off helping Fresno win the state team title on Thursday, won a barnburner over Grossmont's Huyen Lam, 23-21, 14-21, 25-23 in her quarterfinal. SDCC's Ngai defeated PCC's Jessica Lee, 21-16, 21-7 to set up a matchup with Napier.

In doubles, Yao will team with Lee, who scored a 21-16, 21-18 quarterfinals win over Fresno's Nari Chang and Stephanie Tran, as they face the Irvine Valley duo of Lulu Yan and Chien Tu, a 3-set winner over Fresno's Napier and Soua Kong, 21-13, 17-21, 21-16. Candolada is paired with Skyline teammate Katie Tan as they knocked off SD Mesa's Aguilar and Jolli Panal, 21-14, 21-7. They will face the San Diego City duo of Ngai and Anita Xayasomloth, who won a close one over De Anza's Cindy Ha and Sapphire Doan, 23-21, 21-15.

One of the wildest matches was an opening play-in doubles contest between Fresno's Dominique Yang and Shakaila Eddings, who outlasted Grossmont's Mickaela Carlin and Jazzlynne Napoles, 21-12, 27-29, 21-12. In singles, some of the better matches were FCC's Tran beating Xayasomloth, 21-17, 20-22, 21-18, and a rally win by Aguilar over Kong, 19-21, 21-13, 21-17. The upset knocked off Kong, who was last year's state singles finalist.

Release by Robert Lewis, CCCSIA