On Tuesday, April 11, the varsity badminton team put together a dominant performance over El Camino High School, winning by a score of 20-10.  

Burlingame excelled in the girls’ doubles, with seniors Erika Jiang and Gabby Vega winning their match. Junior and future captain Jayden Ma displayed a dominant performance in the boys’ singles, helping lead Burlingame to their win.

“A lot of our players were playing more aggressively than usual,” Jiang said. “That gave us an edge.”

As of this week, the team’s record is 4-5, and they currently sit in the middle of the PAL Bay Division standings.

This season, the team has taken a tactical approach — emphasizing the importance of strategy over skill.

“Your strategy and where you place the birdies, so your opponent can’t get them as easily, is where you get those wins,” Jiang said.

Under head coach Salvador Banquiles, the team has maintained steady morale, keeping their overall confidence high.

“We like to enjoy the games, but we also still want to win. We’re pretty confident when going into games,” Ma said.

The team has faced some inconsistencies on the scoreboard throughout the season, however, and there are still areas for improvement.

“The team needs to work on precision, and thinking on their feet, while they’re playing, which is really difficult,” Jiang said.

Despite this, the team does not lack talent, and players such as sophomores Gabby Vega and Tyler Leung are certain to be the future of the team in the coming years. But especially with the team’s early 6:15 a.m. practices, the team’s development will require unwavering dedication. 

“To be more consistent, I would say not skipping practice, because we have practice really early in the morning,” Ma said.