Last year Xavier's Jessica Michael had to be satisfied with consolation prizes at the state badminton tournament.

She and her Gator teammates finished runner-up to Chaparral for team honors. And Michael reached the singles semifinals only to lose both matches at that point and place a respectable fourth.

Those outcomes changed on Thursday when Xavier regained the team title and again Saturday afternoon as Michael rallied from a game down in her semis and finals matches to take first in the 2011 singles competition at Independence High School.

Michael defeated top-seed Kellie Branyan of Gilbert, 6-11, 11-5, 11-1 to reach the championship match opposite Chandler High's Chandler Begay. In the same manner she topped Begay losing the first game and coming back in the next two. Scores were 6-11, 11-4, 11-5.

"After I lost the first game (to Begay), I told myself it's not over until it's over," Michael said. "I knew I had to come out and get the momentum in the second game and keep it up."

Michael did that. She trailed by a poiint early and then took a 5-2 lead and finished strong to even the match. She never let Begay get untracked in the decisive game, opening up a 4-0 lead. Michael never trailed and won going away.

"I knew I had to push her deep and keep her from the net," Michael said. "Her net shots were incredible. I learned that in the first game."

Michael also knew from a semifinal team match on Wednesday against Gilbert and Branyan that no lead is safe. Not even a 10-1 lead.

"Knowing (Branyan) came back from 10-1 down to beat me was a huge factor today," Michael said. "I' know I'd  have rather lost that match and won today. That helped me focus more. I was ahead of her again in the third game today 10-1. I took a huge deep breath on that last point. I made sure I was going to work hard to get that point."

Begay, who stormed through every round this year with little resistance, placed at state for the third consecutive year. The Chandler senior was fourth in doubles in 2009, fourth in doubles last year and picked up a runner-up medal in her finale. Branyan, who was a state runner-up last year in doubles, placed third by defeating Red Mountain's Amandine Joannesse, 11-5, 11-8.

In doubles competition, Mountain Pointe sophomores Kiyoko Hashimoto and Vaishnavi Koka kept their season record untarnished by outlasting last year's champs in three games. Hashimoto and Koka beat Chaparral's Courtney Foltz and Alex Hoffman, 15-5, 11-15, 15-13.

Hashimoto and Koka, who also were unbeaten as freshman last year but did not compete at state in doubles, were pushed to a third game for the first time this season. All their wins at state prior to the finals triumph were routes as they won four matches by scores of 15-5, 15-1; 15-0, 15-2; 15-2, 15-1; 15-2, 15-1.

It seemed like more of the same was coming in the title match, but Foltz and Hoffman battled back to win late in game two. They also led 13-12 in the final game. That's when the sophomore duo put together three straight points to turn away the defending champs.

"We hadn't had a match this close and it was kind of iffy there for a while," Koka said. "We beat them easily early in the season. We had to fight hard for this one."

Third place went to Gilbert's Michelle Teichert and Tarina DeRito. The knocked off Xavier's Alison Kelly and Carina Arellano, 15-9, 10-15, 15-12.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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