Linsanity: Stephanie Lin ’15 makes history

Winning the match would make Stephanie Lin ‘15 the first person to claim three state titles in a row in IHSA history. With 44 wins and two loses on her back, Lin stepped on to the court of her final badminton match as an LT Lion.

“I’d resolved myself to be calm and collected, to enjoy the final match,” Lin said. “As soon as I started the match, however, I realized that I’d completely and utterly failed because my nerves froze up ever inch of my body. To be honest, it was the most terrifying yet exhilarating moment of my life.”

On May 16, Lin played her final badminton match against sophomore Judy Yang from Hinsdale South. This was a rematch of whom she had faced last year in the championship and was also a player from the same club, Midwest Badminton Club, where Lin trains at. The match went three sets long, Yang won the first of the three sets, and Lin won the final two sets to become the 2015 IHSA badminton state champion.

“There have been others that have claimed three titles, but never in a row. If someone were to tell my freshman self that I would someday be a three-time consecutive State Champion, the first in IHSA history, I would have shaken my head in disbelief,” Lin said. “As soon as the last bird landed out, I collapsed to my knees and sobbed in joy for a good 10 minutes. It was as if the world broke around me and suddenly it was mine. At long last, here was something I could keep forever—something I couldn’t lose ever again.”

Lin was the only member of the varsity badminton team to make it to the state finals this year. She hopes to leave the team with the idea that they are strong both as players and as individuals and can stand on the same stage some day, Lin said.

“I do not think people realize the amount of sacrifices that she made to win,” varsity coach Susan McClenahan said. “She was up every morning running, she was in the training room during study hall the last three weeks taking care of her injuries, she was icing at night besides doing all her homework and AP tests for this time of year. Not to mention everything she does, she plays piano. She was going from practice to going to grab a quick bite to eat, to piano lesson to doing her homework at night to doing it all over again the next day. Her and her family made a lot of sacrifices to do what she did.”

As for Lin, she plans on continuing her badminton career at Cornell University where she hopes to be a part of the intercollegiate club badminton team. LT will continue on without her and hope to increase its level of dedication after seeing what Lin has been able to do, McClenahan said.

“It has been a privilege to watch her,” McClenahan said. “I mean I had this nostalgic moment on Saturday during warm ups, and I was excited for her, I was nervous, I was a little sad because I knew it was the last day she was going to be playing for LT. I just sat behind her court, and watched her for the final time warm up. It has been a lot of fun.”