Lockport seniors Alexis Duda and Mary O’Brien weren’t sure where they’d be slotted in the Porters’ badminton lineup this season.
One thing neither expected was to be paired together at No. 1 doubles.
Duda was a state qualifier last season with partner McKenzie Ebel, who graduated, and figured she’d be playing singles.
“I definitely thought I was going to have to make that switch and play singles,” Duda said. “With McKenzie gone, I didn’t know what to expect. It’s tough to switch to a new partner. It can be a really weird adjustment sometimes, but it’s worked out with Mary.”
Indeed, it has.
Duda and O’Brien are 37-8 and captured the doubles title at the Lincoln-Way West Sectional to earn their trip to the state tournament Friday and Saturday at Eastern Illinois.
“It’s great that in our senior year we can say we’re (SouthWest Suburban Blue) champions and sectional champions and now hopefully we can get some wins at state,” Duda said.
Duda and O’Brien are unseeded and will open the tournament Friday against another unseeded team, Prospect seniors Katie Cooper and Catherine Meredith.
For O’Brien, it’s been a whirlwind of a senior season. She had a tough time cracking the lineup last year on a loaded team that finished ninth in the state.
“I was thrown in the lineup wherever I could help, but a lot of time I was on the sidelines cheering them on,” she said. “It’s great to be out there now. Alexis and I, right from the beginning, worked well together. We’re two hard hitters so when we’re both on, we can do some damage.”
First-year Lockport coach Stacy Sparlin saw something in O’Brien early this season.
“When I was watching Mary, she just has this natural instinct,” Sparlin said. “She’s lightning quick. You can’t teach that. I was surprised she wasn’t really in the lineup last year. After seeing her, I told her and Alexis I’d like to try them out together. They said they’d give it a shot.”
The pairing was also endorsed by assistant coach Haley Egelhof, who finished fifth in the state in doubles last year with teammate Jessica Miller.
“We had Alexis and Mary play together for the first time in our second tournament of the season at Downers Grove North,” Sparlin said. “They did well and Haley was like, ‘See — listen to me. I finished fifth in the state last year. I know what I’m talking about.’ She’s given them great guidance all year.”
O’Brien expects to be nervous this weekend, but will look to Duda for help.
“She’s been through this before, so she can calm me down,” O’Brien said. “I know it’s going to be overwhelming, but I hope to stay amped up and excited and make it a positive experience.”
Duda went 0-2 at state last year with Ebel.
This year, she hopes she and O’Brien will still be playing Saturday. That’ll mean winning at least three matches.
“State is really tough,” Duda said. “It’s tough get on the podium. We’re going to try our best to do that, but if we can at least make it to second day, I’ll be happy.”
Steve Millar is a freelance writer for the Daily Southtown.
STATE BADMINTON
Friday and Saturday at Eastern Illinois
Local qualifiers
Singles: 9-12 seed: Cassie Ruettiger, Lincoln-Way West. Unseeded: Jalyn Baumgartner, Lincoln-Way Central; Vivian Cui, Andrew; Ivy Flores, T.F. South; Jenna Franzen, Lockport; Mia Ko, Sandburg; Peyton Nielsen, Lincoln-Way West
Doubles: 13-16 seed: Cassie Cintron-Frances Romero, T.F. South. Unseeded: Jenna Bostick-Ashley Deckelman, Homewood-Flossmoor; Alexis Duda-Mary O’Brien, Lockport; Morghann Furr-Jessica Sterna, Lockport; Jackie Lopez-Fatima Medina, T.F. South; Becca Ricker-Emily Ripp, Lincoln-Way East
