Newsday's top 20 girls badminton players for spring 2025
From left: Sandra Chen, Emma Ding and Hannah Cheng.
Newsday's annual look at the top Long Island high school girls badminton players for the spring season, listed in alphabetical order with singles players followed by doubles players. All stats listed are from last season unless otherwise noted.
Abby Chen, Manhasset, Jr.
She has lost just two matches in the past two years. Chen will return to her first singles role this spring as Manhasset debuts in Conference III after winning Conferences IV and V in the last two seasons.
Sandra Chen, Jericho, Soph.
Coach Mark Burkowsky called Chen “tough, aggressive and smart,” three traits that helped Jericho reach the Nassau title meet. Chen was 13-1.
Hannah Cheng, Great Neck South, Jr.
Cheng finished as the runner-up at Nassau’s individual tournament after serving as the team’s second singles player. Cheng will take over the top singles spot this spring for the defending Long Island champions.
Nicole Clemans, Smithtown East, Sr.
Nicole Clemans, left, and Judy Liang.
There’s a reason coach John T. Hart called Clemans “an anchor for a building program.” A fifth-year varsity starter, Clemans has helped Smithtown East improve each year, evidenced by a league co-championship last season. She went 12-1 and placed fourth at the Suffolk individual tournament.
Emma Ding, Great Neck South, Jr.
Ding dominated alongside teammate Eva Westbay, going undefeated en route to a second straight Nassau doubles title as well as a Long Island team championship. Coach Allison Romeo Gottfried said the junior likely will play singles this season, a welcome sight after graduating Bernice Wong and Newsday Player of the Year Kayla Wu.
Judy Liang, Jericho, Jr.
Liang will serve as Jericho’s first singles player after going 10-4. Burkowsky lauded Liang as the team’s “backbone,” adding that “she has matured into a truly dedicated, seasoned player who has also become a strong leader and role model for our younger players, both on varsity and [junior varsity].”
Mahita Rallabhandi, Syosset, Soph.
The sophomore won 15 of her 20 singles matches, playing mostly second singles, no easy feat in Nassau’s top conference. Rallabhandi will step into the first singles role as she looks to lead Syosset to the county finals after the team — which graduated just three starters — fell in the semifinal round.
Nancy Sethi, Wheatley, Jr.
Coach Tracy Hutt Marshall said Sethi “keeps improving her play each year,” and the record reflects it. She improved from a solid 10-2 freshman season to go 12-0 as a sophomore.
Katie Specht, Ward Melville, Sr.
On most programs Specht would lead the way at first singles, but she’ll likely be even more effective at second singles for Ward Melville after going 12-1. Coach Shannon Sioss described her as “a strong badminton player who uses her shots to her advantage.”
From left: Eva Westbay, Sid Wickramasinghe and Zoe Xiao
Eva Westbay, Great Neck South, Soph.
Westbay is expected to step into singles as a sophomore, a year after dominating Long Island with an undefeated doubles record alongside teammate Emma Ding. She’ll look to defend Great Neck South’s Long Island championship title.
Sid Wickramasinghe, Calhoun, Soph.
Several Nassau coaches praised Wickramasinghe as a top player in the county, a telling sentiment for the Calhoun sophomore who went 12-2. Calhoun coach Keri Cinneli touted Wickramasinghe’s “leadership and experience” while noting how the first singles starter provides the Colts a “reminder to enjoy the game.”
Zoe Xiao, Ward Melville, Sr.
The returning Suffolk individual tournament champion holds the first singles spot this spring for a Ward Melville team seeking its fourth consecutive county title. Xiao went undefeated last year, with coach Shannon Sioss noting how Xiao’s “skill set, along with her badminton IQ, distinguishes her above others.”
Kezia Abraham, Sr. and Rachael Lam, Jr., East Meadow
They paired together last year as a result of an injury to Abraham’s original partner, but neither needed much time playing together to perform on the court. The doubles team went 11-3.
Amy Chen and Hanna Miu, Sr., Jericho
The duo dominated last spring, finishing 12-2 at first doubles. Chen and Miu should be strong contenders at the individual tournament while hoping to lead Jericho’s team back to the Nassau championship.
Lindsay Alms and Sara Duffy, Sr, Whitman
Duffy went 13-2 at first doubles last spring, and Alms went 14-1 at second doubles. Now the talented duo and co-captains are teaming up, with coach Elena Tonna describing them as "great leaders" who excel at “getting everyone onboard and helping the newcomers get involved and practice technique and tactics."
Catherine Li, Jr., and Isabella Zhong, So., Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK
Isabella Zhong, left, and Catherine Li of Plainview- Old Bethpage during doubles semifinal match at the Nassau girls badminton final in Jericho on Saturday, May 11, 2024. Credit: Dawn McCormick
Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK is climbing the ladder of Nassau badminton, boasting a 60-2 record since 2019. Now in Conference I, the undefeated doubles duo of Li and Zhong are key reasons why the Hawks belong with the best of the best. Both may play singles this spring, according to coach Jenna Cavuto.
