Even in ‘rebuilding’ season, Palmetto maintains dominance at GMAC badminton

Palmetto badminton coach Dave Zarco may have finally figured out the secret.

Despite a “rebuilding” year for his program which has dominated the Miami-Dade County landscape for the last half decade, Zarco watched his players find a way to once again grind out another GMAC championship on Wednesday afternoon at Reagan High School in Doral.

It marked the 11th overall GMAC title for the Panthers but also the fifth in a row.

And Zarco can perhaps thank, of all things – his alarm clock.

“It didn’t go off, and I overslept this morning,” Zarco said. “When I was rushing to get over here I actually remembered that when we started this streak four years ago (2022), I overslept that day as well. I guess I’ll have to remember to NOT set my alarm clock again next year (laughing).”

Despite not winning either singles championship or the mixed doubles, the Palmetto boys’ doubles team of Nicholas Jagers and Frederick Landsea and the girls team of British Chau and Kayla Mo won their respective divisions.

Even though the margin of victory was smaller than what the Panthers have enjoyed over the previous four GMAC tournaments, the 11 total points still easily outdistanced second place Varela which placed second with 6 points. Coral Gables, Coral Reef and Coral Park finished in a 3-way tie for third with five.

The Jagers/Landsea team mowed through the field never losing a single set, defeating Eduardo Martinez and Christian Mayea of Hialeah Gardens 21-15, 21-17 in the final. Chau and Mo did exactly the same thing before disposing of Coral Reef’s Nancy Chen and Daniella Cheng 21-14, 21-19 in the championship match.

“This was the first year we’ve played together,” said Chau, a junior. “Kayla and I used to both play singles and our coach thought we would be a good match so he put us together. It took some time, but eventually we got used to playing with each other, and it really paid off today.”

After winning four consecutive girls individual titles, Palmetto’s Katerina Slazas finally graduated last year opening the door for a new girls’ singles champ and it was Aaliyah Soto of Coral Park, who stepped right through that door. After dropping the first set to Varela’s Valentina Carruitero 19-21, she bounced back to win the next two 21-14, 21-9 to become the first Coral Park player to win the girls singles title since Janice Morales in 2013.

“We played each other in the Youth Fair final and she (Carruitero) beat me so today I guess I had my turn,” Soto said. “ How’d I do it? Not sure, I guess maybe I just practiced a little harder and was more determined.”

Just four years removed from his parents moving from Russia, Klim Shpagonov of Krop, just a freshman, enjoyed his finest moment to date when he took the singles title, defeating Aidan Remedios of Coral Gables 21-9, 21-9.

“It was exciting to win today,” Shpagonov said. “I grew up learning this sport in Russia and have come to love it even more playing it here in America.”

Perhaps the two most excited badminton players on the floor were Elizabeth Acosta and Manuel Girata of Southwest. Before this season, they hadn’t played together, but they played mixed doubles all season long and the hard work paid off on Wednesday when they made their way to the finals and then defeated Llana Damski and Darren Lu of Palmetto 21-15, 21-17 to win the title.

Acosta and Girata jumped up and hugged each other following the winning point.

Seconds later, their coach and teammates quickly joined in the celebration as it marked the first GMAC title for the Eagles (individual or doubles) since 2016.

“Wow. GMAC champions, this is really exciting and amazing,” said an enthusiastic Acosta. “I’ve been playing girls doubles since 9th grade but ever since I switched to mixed with Manny it’s been great. It took a lot of time to adjust but Manny and my coaches were great teachers and today is a crowning achievement of that.”

Girata credited the fast-growing popular sport of pickleball for their success.

“This started at the beginning of this year when we decided to play pickleball together,” Girata said. “We didn’t do all that great at it but what it did was allowed us to get used to playing with each other on the court. We brought that chemistry onto the badminton court really did great which led us to winning it today.”

As Zarco was packing up his things, he yelled out “everybody to Wall’s.” In what has now become an annual tradition for his players, Zarco, following the conclusion of the GMAC tournament, treats all of them to an outing at Wall’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor on South Dixie Highway.

For Chau, who transferred from Coral Reef, it was her first time enjoying a GMAC championship. When asked what the best thing about it was, she smiled.

“I did it because I wanted that trip to Wall’s for all that ice cream,” she said kiddingly while her teammates laughed along with her.

RESULTS

Team: 1. Palmetto 11, 2. Varela 6, 3. Coral Gables, Coral Reef and Coral Park 5; 6. Hialeah Gardens, Southwest, and Krop 4.

Individual - Boys’ singles: 1. Klim Shpagonov Krop; 2. Aidan Remedios Coral Gables; 3. Michael Shi Coral Gables; 4. Muneeb Langrial TERRA; Girls’ singles: 1. Aaliyah Soto Coral Park; 2. Valentina Carruitero Varela; 3. Valentina Loria Coral Reef; 4. Abbie Yang Ferguson; Boys’ doubles: 1. Jagers/Landsea Palmetto; 2. Martinez/Mayea Hialeah Gardens; 3. Batista/Parra Braddock; 4. Chang/Bou Bou Varela; Girls’ doubles: 1. Chau/Mo Palmetto; 2. Chen/Cheng Coral Reef; 3. Ruiz/Velez Varela; 4. Kamboj/Terran Coral Park; Mixed doubles: 1. Acosta/Girata Southwest; 2. Damski/Ku Palmetto; 3. Martinez/Sibaja Sunset; 4. Leiva/Mendoza Hialeah Gardens.