Badminton Team Season Ends, SD Mesa Wins SCC Title

Few programs at Pasadena City College have had the continued success that the women's badminton program has achieved, especially in the last 11 seasons under head coach Jennifer Ho.

On Thursday at Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium, the Lancers '26 season came to a tough close in a 19-2 loss to San Diego Mesa, which clinched the Olympians the South Coast Conference team title in the process.

PCC ended the year with a 4-3 overall record and 2-2 mark in the 3-team SCC. Mesa (7-0 overall), PCC and East Los Angeles were the only Southern California teams playing the sport this season thus the number of team matches were lower than in previous seasons.

Under Ho's direction, the Lancers accomplished a 105-19 overall record and an 85-4 record in conference-only matches. PCC captured back-to-back 3C2A state championships in 2017 and 2018 and Ho's squads captured all eight SCC titles with undefeated conference runs. The program reached the state championship match seven times overall.

In the team finale, PCC's #3 player Kharista Kristi won a singles match v. Mesa's #4 Chrytal Mieu, 21-14, 21-10, while #5 Linh Tran earned a win v. Olympians' #6 Paw Snow, 13-21, 21-14, 21-15, for the Lancers lone team points. 

On April 3, the Lancers downed visiting ELAC, 17-4 as Kristi (at #1), Thuw Tran, Linh Tran, and Sau-Yan Yang all recorded two singles wins. The #1 doubles duo of Tiffany Nguyen and Thuw Tran and #2 pair of Yoon Noe and Kristi won two matches each. 

"I'm so proud of our program and what it achieved with two state titles and other trips to the state finals," Ho said. "We had a younger team this past season, so the results weren't as great as previous years. At least our players continue with individuals to close out the year."

The Lancers won 18 conference titles going back to 2000, the first year the program was introduced. 

PCC hosts the Regional Individual Qualifiers on Thursday, April 23, then participate at the 3C2A State Championship Individual Tournament on Friday-Saturday, May 8-9.

De Anza hosts Mesa in the state championship match on May 8.