SOUTH MUSKOKA - Muskoka-Parry Sound badminton finals wrapped up last week, sending several Muskoka high school players to the Georgian Bay Secondary Schools Association (GBSSA) championships.
Gravenhurst High School senior girls doubles team Katie Sellon and Emily Grey will also progress to GBSSA championships, said junior coach Trent Willett.
In addition, junior player Brent Sontag will also move on to GBSSA.
GHS students played well, he added.
“They did very well and finished in the middle of the pack,” said Willett.
Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School’s (BMLSS) team emerged on top during the finals, held April 20 and 22 at St. Dominic Catholic Secondary School.
The BMLSS senior and junior teams both placed first overall, said BMLSS badminton coach Miranda Homes.
Several players will go on to GBSSA. Senior level players Eric Buwalda, McLean Brownlee, Bruce Burdett, Adam Schandlen, Kellyn Boyd, Eryn Belanger and Mara Goodyear will play at St. Joan of Arc Catholic High School in Barrie April 26 for the GBSSA championship.
Brownlee and Burdett placed first in boys doubles and have a good chance to progress to the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) championships. Homes said Schandlen and Boyd placed first in the mixed doubles and Goodyear and Belanger placed first in girls doubles.
BMLSS has done well in badminton for the last several years, said Homes.
She credits students’ involvement in the Knight Hawks badminton club, which has players learning the game before high school.
“They are starting to develop at a young age,” said Homes. “They are now coming up and being that much stronger … they know that much more.”
Several junior BMLSS badminton players including Alex Webb, Darcy Beathune, Tamika Wickett, Cory Stegelmeier, Elliot Lade, Iain Goodyear, Ryan Payton and Leah O’Shaughnessy will head to the GBSSA championships on April 28.
Overall, Homes is happy with the success of the team.
“I am definitely very proud of them,” she said.
St. Dominic senior badminton player Adam Ager placed first in boys singles at MPS, said coach Joe Conway.
Jocelyn Juneau placed second in singles and will also head to the finals.
St. Dominic placed third overall, Conway said.
Players who place first, second and third can progress to GBSSA.
If successful at GBSSA, senior players can move on to the OFSAA championships on May 5 and 7.