Hernandez, Garcia top Toby’s badminton

Rhoniel Hernandez and Abigail Garcia were crowned 10-under boys’ and girls’ singles champions yesterday in the Toby’s Age-Group Badminton Championships at the SM Megamall Activity Center.

Hernandez, a grade 5 student at the Niugan Elementary School in Malabon, scored a 15-4, 15-12 victory over Ivan Angsico of GCBC.

Hernandez, who has been training for two years under national coach Butch Oreta, teamed up with Edrick Lacson of St. Therese of the Child Jesus to pocket the doubles title over Johan Dee of Xavier and John Carlo Cagomoc of Pinaglabanan Elementary School, 15-11, 15-6.

The 10-year-old Garcia, a fourth-grader at the La Salle-Zobel, stamped her class over Suchika Kumar, 11-3, 11-0. Garcia won the singles silver in the 2002 PRISAA and a member of the team that won the bronze in the Milo event in the same year.

The girls’ doubles title went to Jorella de Jesus and Angelu Angeles of St. James University, who scored a 15-2, 15-1 win over Ysabel Denise Garcia and Annabelle Lacorte of Sports Zone.

AC Chan of SPTA and Kumar defeated Ralph Lao of GCBC and Arabelle Lacorte of Sports Zone, 15-9, 15-6, to capture the mixed doubles title in this week-long event sponsored by Adidas, Carlton, Wilson, RSL, Prince, Gosen, KFC, SM Shoemart, 103.5 K-lite and Taraflex.

In the boys’ 16-under singles division, Kevin Ang downed Renz Gesmundo, 15-3, 15-2, to advance in the semifinals against Stanley Macaspac, a 15-7, 15-7 winner over Jobett Co.

In other matches, Gabriel Villanueva beat Ericden Dionisio, 15-13, 15-8, and Dave Moldogo conquered Kevin Dalisay, 15-3, 15-12, to also earn semis berths.

In the boys’ 12-under singles class, Enzo Guerrero outplayed Jovan Joshua Garcia, 15-4, 15-7, to advance in the finals against Patrick Magnaye, who beat John Gregg Paz, 15-0, 15-6.