The Student Recreation Center was bombarded with hundreds of people Friday and Saturday when the Illinois High School Association Girls Badminton State Finals took place at Eastern.

Singles player Ellen Lin, a senior from Naperville North High School, was victorious after beating Stevenson High School senior Wan Wan Liu in a 21-14, 21-16 match on Saturday.

Both students’ schools ended the weekend with a total of 13.5 points—tying them for the state championship.

Schools from across the state participated in the singles and doubles divisions where each match a student or doubles team won would result in points earned toward their schools overall score.

Hinsdale South team Brittany DeClouette and Emma Adcock won the first place in doubles.

DeClouette said winning the doubles matches was the “best feeling ever.”

“We’ve been doing great all season, and coming in today we were relaxed, and we were just ready to play,” DeCloutette said.

DeClouette and Adcock were undefeated throughout their six games, earning their team a cumulative 7 points.

Of the two-day, six-match experience, Lin said it was a dream come true.

“I’m just really proud of myself and my team for coming down state and just doing so well,” Lin said. “I honestly couldn’t have done it without my teammates, my coaches and all my friends who came down to support me.”

During her freshman year, Lin was in the state championships as a doubles player but played singles after switching in her sophomore year.

Lin placed sixth in the singles division for the 2010-2011 state championships.

Lin said she enjoyed playing this weekend knowing it would be her last.

“Coming into this year, I didn’t want to put too much pressure on myself, but the goal was still to get first,” Lin said.

Lin may have participated in every state championship since her freshman year, but this year was the first time that her mother came down to watch.

Cora Lin said her nerves are what kept her away all of those years.

“Her dad came every year, but I was too nervous,” Cora Lin said. “But I knew this was the last year for her, so I came here and I’m so glad I am here to watch.”

Ellen Lin plans on playing club badminton at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she will major in nursing.

“I definitely want to keep a balance of athletics and academics,” Ellen Lin said. “I want to stay in shape and (I really)just want to keep playing badminton because I love it.”

Naperville North coach Bob Funston said he was proud of Lin and what she had accomplished in her four years as a member of the Huskies.

“She has been a leader of our team, and we are quite happy with her,” Funston said.

Nike Ogunbodede can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].