Calhoun badminton grabs 3rd straight title

The Calhoun Colts badminton team practiced throughout the 2010-11 school year while sporting T-shirts with the phrase, “Winning is a choice.” It’s a choice that the squad has made three years in a row.

On May 20, the Lady Colts defeated Port Washington, winning four of seven games to capture the Nassau County championship. It marked the third consecutive county title for Calhoun, which the program had never accomplished before.

"It was probably one of the most fulfilling county championships for me as a coach,” said head coach Gregg Muscarella.

The championship victory continued a decade-long winning streak for the Calhoun badminton program. The team has won seven county titles in 10 years, compiling a record of 151-7.

"We knew from the beginning that winning this year would be historic,” said Elise Meade, a senior co-captain and the first singles player. “So doing it was more than just a win; we accomplished something that nobody had done before."

For the first time in many years, however, Muscarella said that the road to victory was a little bumpier than the squad was accustomed to. Entering this year, the Lady Colts had not lost a match in two years. They finished 30-0 over that span while winning two county championships. This year, the team lost two matches, both to Jericho High School. "It's not something we're used to dealing with,” said Muscarella. “These girls aren't used to losing."

In addition, Muscarella shuffled the lineup several times throughout the year, which, the coach said, he had rarely done in previous years. In badminton, the lineup comprises three singles players and four doubles teams. Muscarella said that in the beginning of the year, 40 girls turned out for tryouts to fill 11 spots. As a result, they had more of an open competition than usual. “That caused a little bit of tension among the girls and on the team,” said Muscarella.

Senior co-captain Marissa Levy, who played first doubles, had four partners throughout the year, which she said was a struggle until mid-year, when she found a partner in freshman Lauren Strezenec.

After the team’s first loss to Jericho early in the year, the team matured and became closer, Muscarella said. “We got tougher and more resilient,” he said.