Newsday's All-Long Island girls badminton team 2025

Newsday Player of the Year: Siddhangi Wickramasinghe, Calhoun, Soph.

Before the girls badminton spring season began, Newsday sent surveys to coaches across Long Island asking them about the top players in the county. It's a common practice that usually yields a wide range of names to keep tabs on.

Yet, while some recommended position slots based on program status and others by memories of past matches, only a handful of players were mentioned by name. And only one was mentioned multiple times among the coaches in Nassau County.

Meet Siddhangi Wickramasinghe of Calhoun, the Nassau singles champion and the Newsday Player of the Year.

The sophomore, who went 12-2 as a freshman, improved on that record by going 14-0 in 2025. It’s her dedication and practice throughout the offseason that coach Keri Cinelli points to as a reason for her success.

“She’s constantly working hard at getting her game better, working on her endurance,” Cinelli said. “She still knows what she needs to work on for next year. She doesn’t even stop.”

Before the season started, Cinelli described Wickramasinghe as someone who showcased leadership. That remained the case as Cinelli watched Wickramasinghe put her team before herself throughout the spring.

“She has such a knowledge of the game,” Cinelli said. “She loves to teach and help kids learn the sport.”

It’s a welcome sight for a Calhoun team that will look to get back on track next season after going 5-9 and missing the postseason. Cinelli noted how Wickramasinghe would be “the biggest cheerleader” for her teammates throughout the spring, supporting them through tough stretches and lifting them up during a comeback effort.

When it comes to star badminton player, one thing is beyond certain: Nobody will be forgetting her name anytime soon.

Sandra Chen, Jericho, Soph.

It’s a scary thought for the opposition knowing that Chen is only finishing her sophomore year for a Jericho team that went 18-0 this spring and its first Long Island title. She went 18-0 in her singles matches throughout the regular season and postseason. Coach Mark Burkowsky said that Chen “has a player maturity well beyond her sophomore status."

Nicole Clemans, Smithtown East, Sr.

Clemans went 13-1 in the regular season and 2-0 in the postseason, leaving little doubt as to why coach John T. Heart described the five-year varsity player as “a scholar athlete that is both a leader on the court and in the classroom.” She also won five consecutive matches to become the Suffolk County singles champion, the first Smithtown East girls badminton player to do so since Tara Korkus in 2015.

Zoe Xiao, Ward Melville, Sr.

Xiao, the top seed and runner-up at the Suffolk individual tournament, went undefeated (14-0) in the regular season and collected two more wins in the postseason to cap off her terrific Ward Melville badminton career. The senior lost only three matches since joining varsity as a freshman. Coach Shannon Sioss said of Xiao: “She's by far one of the most talented badminton players to play for Ward Melville.”

Jennifer Arias, Sr. and Jearmi Rosario, Sr., Central Islip

Arias and Rosario went 13-1 and captured the Suffolk doubles championship, the first individual title in program history. Said coach Mike Gudema: “Their commitment and dedication was contagious, which drove the entire team to raise the bar and set higher goals."

Emma Ding, Jr. and Eva Westbay, Soph., Great Neck South

The Great Neck South duo won their second consecutive Nassau doubles title, concluding the season with a 12-2 record. It also was the third straight year that Ding, who won alongside Hannah Cheng in 2023, hoisted the county championship trophy.

Adora Cho, Sr. and Akira Cho, Sr., Great Neck South

Great Neck South’s second doubles team went 15-1 this season and placed second at the county championship.

Coach of the Year: Mark Burkowsky, Jericho

For the first time since 2019, the Jericho girls badminton team secured the Nassau crown. It went on to defeat Commack in the Long Island championship, earning its first LI title in program history. There’s something uniquely special and personal with the way Burkowsky speaks about his players and how they speak about him. And it all culminated in the most successful season in team history for the 18-0 Jayhawks.