BADMINTON / Players to Watch

* Melissa Duan, Troy, girls’ singles, Jr.

* Dung Huynh, La Quinta, boys’ doubles, Sr.

* Khoa Huynh, La Quinta, boys’ singles, Jr.

* Tina Lam, Garden Grove, girls’ doubles, Sr.

* Huy Le, Ocean View, boys’ doubles, Sr.

* The Mai, Katella, boys’ singles, Sr.

* Ahn T. Nguyen, Magnolia, boys’ singles, Sr.

* Linh Nguyen, Anaheim, girls’ doubles, So.

* Sokun Ouk, Century, boys’ doubles, Sr.

* Rosie Pham, Garden Grove, girls’ doubles, Jr.

* Vuthy Sem, Century, boys’ doubles, Sr.

* Chatchi Thaosatien, Garden Grove, boys’ doubles, Sr.

* Alisa Trakulbaon, Troy, girls’ doubles, Sr.

* Cynthia Tran, Garden Grove, girls’ singles, Jr.

* Kirsten Wong, Cypress, mixed doubles, Jr.

League Favorites

Empire: Century; Freeway: Buena Park; Garden Grove: Garden Grove; Golden West: Ocean View.

Key Dates

May 5-6, Garden Grove League finals, Golden West League finals. May 6-7, Empire League finals. May 14, Southern Section mixed doubles. May 16, Southern Section singles and doubles. May 13, 19, 21, 26, Southern Section team playoffs. May 28, Southern Section team finals.

1997 Final Poll

1. Ocean View; 2. Loara; 3. Magnolia; 4. Garden Grove; 5. Bolsa Grande; 6. La Quinta; 7. Century; 8. Westminster; 9. Fullerton; 10. La Habra.

Notes

Vicki Toutz, who is retiring after 35 years of coaching at Garden Grove, appears to be poised to go out with a title. Her quarterfinalist team of last year returns 10 starters, including Cynthia Tran in girls’ singles and Jamie Kong and Chai Chorn in girls’ doubles. Garden Grove is the outright favorite to win the Garden Grove League, but the Argonauts will miss boys’ singles player of the year Wook Kim, who graduated. . . . Century returns all of its boys, who, with the exception of Hendy Yahya, will be in their fourth year of varsity competition. With a strong junior varsity, Coach Ralph Cervantes is having a hard time placing all the players. . . . . Century will host a first-ever eight-team junior varsity tournament Friday and Saturday.