Empire Badminton Players of the Year

Scoring a hat trick with a third All-Empire honor, Angel Tran was the top girls' singles player and then helped Piner win the North Bay League tournament's mixed doubles title.

First team All-Empire last year after an honorable mention nod as a freshman, Tran developed a more complete game this past season.

"She's at a point where she's beating most of the guys in the league. She will definitely be among the best in the North Coast Section next year," said Piner coach Stan Bischof.

Tran was a tennis player on the way to becoming the Prospectors' number one in singles when she took up badminton her first year at Piner. She also plays on the girls' varsity basketball team. A great athlete, Tran still needed to put in the work to become the league's best in badminton.

"Before I wasn't really that committed. Last year I didn't really focus on where I was hitting and this year I had a lot of control over the birdie," she said.

A tireless player, Tran needed to refine her game.

"Now she's learned the quicker, reaction game," Bischof said. "The biggest improvement for her was actually in her doubles game."

In league singles matches Tran was 14-1. She played mixed doubles in the league tournament, figuring she and partner Sandi Cude could go deep in the North Coast Section finals, where the team went 2-2, a very good showing for the NBL.

Next season Tran aims to play singles at the sectionals.

"My goal is to go undefeated and try to get past the first round at NCS," she said. "I'm going to have to work harder in practice, do more drills, a lot of conditioning."

You can reach Staff Writer Michael Coit at 521-5470 or mike.coit@pressdemocrat.com.