Newsday Unveils Elite All-Long Island Badminton Teams for 2026

The high school tennis season on Long Island culminated with several outstanding performances, recognizing the top players and coaches across Nassau and Suffolk counties. Newsday celebrated two Players of the Year for their unparalleled dominance and skill, alongside formidable first-team selections and dedicated Coaches of the Year.

Siddhangi Wickramasinghe of Calhoun, a junior, was named Newsday Player of the Year for the second consecutive year, solidifying her status as Long Island's most dominant player. She completed back-to-back undefeated seasons with a pristine 14-0 record. Despite Calhoun competing in Nassau’s Conference II, Wickramasinghe consistently demonstrated her prowess against top-tier opponents. Two years prior, she clinched the Nassau singles tournament title as the sixth seed, and this year, as the top seed, she successfully defended her championship in a commanding fashion. Her coach, Keri Cinelli, lauded her as "one of the most self-motivated players I’ve come across," noting her year-round training and her invaluable role in helping teammates improve.

Arthur Xu, a sophomore from Great Neck South, earned the Newsday Player of the Year honor for his exceptional talent. His skills were brilliantly showcased in the Nassau singles tournament final, where he secured a hard-fought 29-27 victory in a thrilling third set to claim his title. In his inaugural season at first singles, Xu was instrumental for the Rebels, notably winning his matchup against Jericho’s Edward Chang in the county final and contributing to snapping Jericho’s impressive 70-match winning streak during the regular season. With Xu entering his junior year, Great Neck South, which finished as county runner-up and has consistently increased its win total, is poised to contend for another county title.

The First Team selections also featured a roster of remarkable talent. In the girls' division, Sandra Chen, a junior from Jericho, was the singles tournament runner-up for the second year, anchoring her team to back-to-back county and Long Island titles. April Chu, a senior from Commack, earned the Suffolk singles title after leading her team to a county championship in 2025 (sic) and helping Commack secure the county runner-up spot this year. The Miller Place senior duo of Zoe Blake and Angela Chen had a memorable first season together, finishing undefeated and capturing the Suffolk doubles title, while helping their team enter the playoffs as the top seed. Jasmine Peng, a senior, and Jessica Peng, a sophomore, from Jericho, formed a formidable partnership, winning the Nassau doubles title, securing the clinching victory in Jericho’s county title, and each winning their singles matchups in the Long Island championship.

In the boys' division, Brian Yun, a senior from Half Hollow Hills, achieved a come-from-behind victory to win the Suffolk singles title, completing the season with a 19-3 record as Hills remained undefeated through the county final. Michael Li, a sophomore from Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK, completed his second consecutive undefeated season at first singles with a 14-0 regular season record, finishing as the runner-up in the Nassau singles tournament. The Jericho seniors, Alex Li and Owen He, moved from third doubles to first doubles this season, proving their mettle by defeating the top seed to claim the Nassau doubles title. Daniel Lin and Jerry Lin, juniors from Half Hollow Hills, reached the Suffolk doubles tournament final for the second consecutive season and secured the title this time, contributing to Hills' county championship with a 20-2 record.

Two coaches were recognized for their exceptional leadership. Ronnie Muscarella of Ward Melville was named Coach of the Year for guiding his Patriots team to a county title against all odds. Ward Melville, not initially favored, overcame top-seeded Miller Place in the semifinals and second-seeded Commack in the final. Anthony LaRosa of Jericho was also honored as Coach of the Year for swiftly refocusing his team after an uncharacteristic early-season loss. Under his guidance, Jericho rebounded to win its subsequent 15 matches, including a victory in the county final against Great Neck South and the Long Island championship against Half Hollow Hills.