BENICIA HIGH’S badminton team honored its seniors before Thursday’s final home match against Vallejo. The Lady Panther seniors are (back row from left) Sofia West, Maddy Schmeling, Anataya Phadungsang; (front row) Jeanette Burdick, Anise Ghandchi, Belle Chang and Simone Burdick.

Benicia High’s badminton team upset first-place Vallejo on Thursday, 8-7, on Senior Day for Benicia.

The match came down to No. 3 doubles with Gabby Traver and Maddy Schmeling representing the Lady Panthers. The duo held on for a 21-19, 17-21, 21-13 victory that saddled Vallejo with its first loss of the year.

“It got a little intense there at the end, but those are the two girls I’d want out there with a match on the line,” Benicia coach Tom Stephens said of Traver and Schmeling.

Anataya Phadungsang was a 12-21, 21-6, 22-20 winner in No. 2 singles for the Lady Panthers (13-3, 9-2 Solano County Athletic Conference). Other singles winners for Benicia included Simone Burdick (21-11, 21-18), Jeanette Burdick (21-15, 21-18), Danielle Lozada (21-17, 21-3) and Elizabeth Miller-Binkley (21-17, 21-9).

Other doubles winners for Benicia included Lozada and Regina Salvador (21-8, 21-9), and Jordan Whiting and Elena Brown (21-15, 21-13).

Benicia wraps up the regular season Thursday at Bethel.

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