Half Hollow Hills' Brian Yun wins Suffolk singles title
Brian Yun of Half Hollow Hills during the Suffolk boys singles badminton finals on Monday atMiller Place. Credit: Dawn McCormick
After Half Hollow Hills' Brian Yun realized he won the Suffolk individual singles title, he had a sigh of relief. But it wasn't just because he won. He had done the unthinkable.
Yun defeated second-seeded Jake Lee of Commack, 15-21, 21-12, 21-17, with a comeback win in the singles final in the Suffolk County Individual Badminton Championships at Miller Place on Monday evening.
It was the first time in Yun's high school career that he got the upper hand against Lee, making the moment even more memorable.
"[Lee] is such a great competitor, but to finally beat him on the biggest stage was unbelievable," Yun said. "I knew if I could get over this hurdle, I could be champion."
After falling in the first set, Yun knew he couldn't lose focus. He had to stay level-headed to capture the singles crown.
"I just had to keep my cool," Yun said. "I had no doubt I was going to lose, but I had to remain calm because I know what I am capable of."
Yun grabbed an 11-3 advantage in the third set, but Lee gained momentum to bring the score within four. But with the crowd cheering for Yun, it gave him the confidence he needed. Yun eventually closed it out, taking the set, 21-17.
"I did feel a lot of pressure, but my mentality is that the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward is," Yun said. "I took my foot off the gas a little bit, but once I locked in, I was waiting for my opportunity to strike."
Yun defeated the 13th-seeded Nick Galfano of Miller Place in the semifinals, and Galfano claimed third place, defeating Rezvi Ahmed of Brentwood.
Fellow Hills players Daniel Lin and Jerry Lin also took home a title. They defeated Brendan Polak and Colin Murry of Miller Place, 21-16, 18-21, 21-10, in the doubles final.
"We were nervous coming in today," Jerry Lin said. "Everyone here is so talented, but with our hard work and dedication, I know we could win. It was our moment this time."
The duo lost to their teammates, Eric Kim and Ryan Kim, last year, making this victory even sweeter.
"Coming in second place was a letdown to me and [Jerry]," Daniel Lin said. "Being able to come in first and finally winning was something I wanted all season."
On the girls' side, Zoe Blake and Angela Chen of Miller Place defeated Avni Gandhi and Valerie Ponce Ulloa in the doubles final, 21-18, 21-18. This was the first year the pair played first doubles, and they did not disappoint. They kept their undefeated streak alive for the season, making it the first time Miller Place had a doubles individual champion.
"I've been wanting this since the beginning of the season," Blake said. "We used to lose a lot, then we started winning. Then winning became a possibility."
"We never thought this could happen," Chen said. "We wanted to keep the energy up and really get in the zone."
April Chu of Commack defeated Whitman's Gabriella Varellas, 21-11, 21-19, in the singles final. Chu defeated Dora Turcios of Central Islip in the quarterfinal, then went on to defeat Ruth Lynch of Miller Place in the semifinal en route to her first title.
"After all these years, I finally accomplished my goal," Chu said. "I love this sport, I play every year, and it's refreshing to know my hard work paid off."
Jonathan Ruban covers high school sports for Newsday after graduating from St. John’s.
