Grossmont’s Naono, Kobayashi dominate state badminton individual championships, share PCAC Women’s AOTW honors

Grossmont’s Naono, Kobayashi dominate state badminton individual championships, share PCAC Women’s AOTW honors

Grossmont College badminton players Yukari Naono and Michiho Kobayashi swept through the CCCAA State Championship Individual state finals over the weekend and share the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference's Women's Athlete of the Week award.

Naono, a sophomore from Shikoku in Ehime Prefecture, Japan, became the third badminton player in California community college history to win the state singles and doubles championships in back-to-back seasons in the three-day CCCAA Individuals Tournament that concluded on Saturday at San Diego City College's Harry West Gymnasium.

Naono repeated as state singles champion by defeating Jie Chen from Irvine Valley College 21-16, 21-18 in the finals, after taking only 12 minutes to dispose of Fresno City College's Soue Kong 21-6, 21-4 in the semifinals.

She also teamed with Kobayshi, a freshman out of Kanda Institute of Foreign Languages in Tokyo, to win the state doubles title, joining Thuy Hoang from Irvine Valley (in the 2010 and 2011 seasons) and Pinky Li from De Anza College (during the 2013 and 2014 seasons) to win back-to-back state titles in both singles and doubles.

"I was nervous coming into (the singles finals), Naono said. "Chen surprised me with her smashes. It was the hardest match I've played in my two years at Grossmont. I'm more of a doubles player, so I was able to respond to her smashes with some of my own. My backhand shots worked well. I am very happy to win two straight titles."

 

HONORABLE MENTION

Lachelle Autry, Track & Field, Southwestern:  Autry, a freshman from Granite Hills High School in El Cajon, advanced to the upcoming weekend's CCCAA State Championships at Bakersfield College Memorial Stadium by placing third in the long jump in the Southern California Community College finals that San Diego Mesa hosted on Saturday.

Autry got out 5.53 meters (18 feet, 1 inch) in the event, which was won by Paige Johnson from Moorpark College at 5.67 meters (18 feet, 7 inches).  

Hannah Lopez, Track & Field, Palomar: The freshman out of Frontier High School in Bakersfield will return to her hometown to run the 3,000-meter steeplechase in front of family and friends at Bakersfield College on Friday and Saturday after placing fourth in the event in the Southern California Community College finals hosted by San Diego Mesa College at Merrill Douglas Stadium this past Saturday.

Lopez was timed in 11:53.10 in the race, which was won by Antelope Valley's Mariah Theologidy.

 

 

PCAC 2017-18 WOMEN'S ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

May 15 Yukari Naono, Grossmont
Michiho Kobayashi, Grossmont
Badminton
Badminton 
May 8 Brynn Miller, Palomar
Alexia Thiros, Cuyamaca
Softball
Track & Field
May 1 Keyona Villanueva, Palomar
Michelle Mason, MiraCosta
Claudia Mathews, MiraCosta
Softball
Beach Volleyball
Beach Volleyball
Apr 24 Jordann Heimback, Palomar
Savanah Wallace, San Diego Mesa
Swim & Dive
Softball
Apr 17 Ashley Dettmann, San Diego Mesa
Claudia Stepien, College of the Desert
Swim & Dive
Tennis
Apr 10 Carley Lupien, San Diego Mesa
Trudie Nixon, Southwestern
Swim & Dive
Softball
Apr 3 Claire Kinder, MiraCosta
Chloe Tripp, MiraCosta
Nicole Correia , Southwestern
Beach Volleyball
Beach Volleyball
Softball
Mar 27 Katrina Jassa, Grossmont
Tria Ismay, Palomar
Tennis
Track & Field
Mar 20 Alicia Garcia, Palomar
Mila Anderson, San Diego Mesa
Sarah Connell, San Diego Mesa
Softball
Beach Volleyball
Beach Volleyball
Mar 13 Kaila Gower, Mt. San Jacinto College
Samantha Schmidt, San Diego Mesa
Basketball
Swim & Dive
Mar 6 Kylie Pignone, Palomar
Felicia Marshall, Grossmont
Khalia Jordan, Grossmont
Softball
Beach Volleyball
Beach Volleyball
Feb 27 Sophia Neubauer, Palomar
Gaby Ramirez, Imperial Valley
Basketball
Softball
Feb 20 Cynthia Hiers, San Bernardino Valley
Sydney Vates, Grossmont
Softball
Softball
Feb 13 Sarah Fisher, Palomar
Chelsea Gonzalez, San Diego Mesa
Softball
Softball
Feb 6 Priscilla Silva, Imperial Valley College
Cassie Van Til, Southwestern
Softball
Softball
Jan 27 Quinesha Vanhook, Palomar
E'Maniee Powell, San Diego City
Basketball
Basketball
Jan 21 Brianne Cheatum, San Bernardino Valley
Brittany Gafare, Grossmont
Basketball
Basketball
Jan 14 Monica Todd, Palomar
Delacy Brown, Mt. San Jacinto
Basketball
Basketball
Jan 7 Britney Thomas, Mt. San Jacinto
Breeana Gafare, San Diego City
Basketball
Basketball
Nov 26 Teya Searles, MiraCosta Basketball
Nov 19 Hayley Huntsman, MiraCosta
Vinessa Perryman, Palomar     
Volleyball
Basketball
Nov 12 Madison Cosgrove, San Diego Mesa
Rosa Lopez, Palomar
Soccer
Soccer
Nov 5 Khalia Jordan, Grossmont
Ana Sofia Salas, San Diego Mesa
Volleyball
Soccer
Oct  30 Karen Jacobs, San Bernardino Valley
Kiara Lampkin, Palomar
Soccer
Volleyball
Oct  23 Ariana Serrato, Mt. San Jacinto
Brielle McKinnon, San Diego City College
Soccer
Volleyball
Oct 15 Yuliana Sanchez, Palomar
Halie Hess, MiraCosta
Soccer
Volleyball
Oct 9 Alexcis Morris, Grossmont
Alyssa Dincoff, San Diego City College      
Volleyball
Volleyball
Oct 2 Natasha Camacho-Bier, San Diego Mesa
Justine McBride, San Diego Mesa
Soccer
Volleyball
Sept 18 Natalie Carreon, San Bernardino Valley
Leanna Mena, Cuyamaca
Soccer
Golf
Sept 11 Alexia Thiros, Cuyamac
Lysette Serna, San Diego City College
Cross Country
Volleyball
Sept 4 Demaris Aguila, Southwestern             
Felicia Marshall, Grossmont
Soccer
Volleyball

 

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