West duo aims high, knocks out goals

West Aurora's Karina Diaz (left) and Alexis Fox won a sectional title and placed ninth in the state tournament. For their efforts, the Blackhawks seniors are The Beacon News' Badminton Players of the Year.
Terence Guider-Shaw / For The Beacon News

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When she was a freshman, West Aurora badminton player Karina Diaz set a goal to play in the state tournament -- and be named Beacon News Player of the Year.

"It is something I actually wanted," she said. "It was a goal."

Teammate Alexis Fox had similar aspirations.

"I saw Lauren (Henry) get it last year," Fox said. "I really looked up to her, so I was (thinking), 'I hope I get it next year.'"

Together, the No. 1 Blackhawks doubles team achieved both after placing ninth in the IHSA state finals last month.

"They complement each other very well," West coach Ray Lopez said. "They knew what their goals were and they were united on that."

The duo has played as a team since their sophomore year and made an appearance in the 2008 state tournament. But it wasn't until this year that everything clicked and they became a duo to be feared in northern Illinois.

Diaz and Fox finished the season with a 40-9 record, placed second in the DuPage Valley Conference (DVC champs Hanting Wang and Renee Chang finished second in state) and won the Lincoln-Way Central Sectional.

"We did better than I thought we would ever do," Fox said. "We got second in conference, I never thought we would be that good."

"We grew (as a team) and improved so much," Diaz said. "I didn't think we would end up as far as we did."

Heading into the state competition, the West twosome was ranked in the top 10.

"It was a heck of a tournament," Lopez said. "They came in poised and ready to go."

During the first day of play, the pair cruised through its bracket, defeating opponents from St. Charles North (21-16, 21-5), Willowbrook (21-6, 21-11) and New Trier (21-17, 21-18), before heading into quarterfinals on the second day of competition.

"They were relaxed and having fun," Lopez said.

In the quarterfinals, Diaz and Fox lost to eventual state champions and sisters Ashton and Heather Nisbet of Buffalo Grove 21-18, 21-11.Â

In the consolation quarterfinals, Diaz and Fox fell to fourth-place finishers Stephanie Farina and Tammy Umgelder of Lincoln-Way Central, 21-14, 21-18.

"Our teamwork improved so much this year," Fox said. "We just played so much better as a team."

With graduation from West behind them, both girls are looking forward to college at the end of the summer. Diaz will attend the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana while Fox is headed to Roosevelt University in Chicago.

While both are concentrating on summer jobs to help pay for their educations, they still had time to reflect on their high school career.

Fox attributes her vivacious personality to being part of a team.

"I made a lot of friends," she said. "I became more personal with people. I used to be really quiet and now it is easier to be more sociable."

Diaz found being part of a tradition exciting.

"I found out what West was all about -- working to be your best," she said.

Diaz and Fox are forever woven into the Blackhawks' badminton heritage, and have served up a high mark for their younger teammates to aspire to.

"My biggest disappointment was that I only had a year to work with them," said Lopez, a first-year head coach. "I would have loved to have them back for another three years. I am so proud of them." Badminton Players of the Year