The birdies flew fast and furious at Holy Rosary High School as the school hosted its annual Sr. Smash Badminton Tournament on April 4.
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Twelve teams competed in each of the five divisions: boys’ singles, girls’ singles, boys’ doubles, girls’ doubles, and mixed doubles. Ninety-six athletes took part, representing nine schools across the region.
Matches started at 9:45 a.m., and the final birdie dropped at 10:30 p.m.
“It was a little longer than what we had anticipated, but a really good day,” said Raiders coach Jason Almond, noting that badminton is more than just a break between seasons.
The short season begins after basketball ends and wraps up before track starts.
“Every season, every sport seems to get their holidays,” Almond said.
The game may be quick, but it demands a wide range of athletic ability.
“It’s a minute of high anaerobic activity,” Almond said. “You’re going full out — lunging, diving, smashing, hitting, dropping.”
Despite the short season, the level of competition stays high.
“Our commitment level, especially out of our Grade 10s, is really important,” said Almond.
Players aim to win, but the social and personal growth are just as important.
“The relationship piece is huge,” said Almond. “That’s something I’ve always keyed on in my career.”
Holy Rosary will host the Vermilion and District Senior Badminton Playoff on Wednesday, April 16. Play starts at 11 a.m. and is expected to wrap up by 6 p.m.
Participating schools include E.H. Walter (Paradise Valley), Kitscoty, Marwayne, Dewberry, Vermilion St. Jerome’s, Vermilion J.R. Robson, Mannville, and host HRHS. This playoff is the first step toward provincials.
Gold and silver winners will move on to zones in Lac La Biche on April 23. Top finishers at zones will qualify for the ASAA Provincial Championship.
RESULTS
In boys singles, KC Reyes from Lloydminster Composite High School (LCHS) won gold.
HRHS’s own Mariano Sestoso took silver.
LCHS’s Sam Rawluk won bronze.
LCHS swept the girls singles with Ryder Rachinski winning gold and Yavnika Gulia taking silver.
Kadyn Warawa of Marwayne took bronze.
LCHS also took gold in boys doubles. Pavel Ostrowski and Jheriel Angeles stood on top of the podium.
Marwayne’s Cole and Morgan Boutillier finished second.
Bronze went to Jade Gazo and Danny Im of LCHS.
Danielle and Isabella Antoniuk of École des Beaux Lacs (Bonnyville) won girls doubles gold.
LCHS’s Ashley Wenger and Neveah Souster claimed silver.
Sienna and Jillian of Dewberry took bronze.
In mixed doubles, LCHS won both gold and silver. Nikka Batang and Jared Mendoza claimed first.
Lindsay Randall and Jory Wagner were runners-up.
Karyss and Jordan of Maidstone took home bronze.
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