District Badminton Playdowns Held On Saturday
By Robert Thomas
The district badminton playdowns were held on Saturday at Peacock Collegiate as senior boys and senior girls athletes from the south central district competed for the right to advance to regionals.
The gold and silver medallists advance to regionals next weekend May 6th at Campbell Collegiate in Regina.
Winners in the bantam division do not go to regionals as their season ended at districts.
Here are photos, and the results from the districts held in Moose Jaw.
Senior Boys Singles
Peacock Collegiate’s Allen Lu reaches out to tap the bird back during the bronze medal match - MJ Independent photo
Central Collegiate’s Nigel Feng watches a bird just land out of bounds in the gold medal match - MJ Independent photo
Briercrest’s Ike Wong prepares to make a smash in the gold medal match - MJ Independent photo
Senior boys singles district medal winners (left or right) - Nigel Feng silver (Central), Ike Wing gold (Briercrest) and Allen Lu bronze (Peacock) - MJ Independent photo
Senior Girls Singles
Moose Jaw senior city league 2023 champion and last year’s bantam girls singles champion Kiana Hrechka won the gold medal.
Hrechka continued her dominance in girls, singles play and despite some setbacks for the most part, she easily defeated the majority of her opponents.
Cornerstone‘s Kiana Hrechka reaches to make a return in the gold medal match - MJ independent photo
Vanier Collegiate’s Feona Tolentino reaches to make a return in the gold medal match against Cornerstone’s Liana Hrechka - MJ independent photo
Senior girls singles districts medal winners (left to right) - Feona Tolentino (Vanier) silver, Kiana Hrechka (Cornerstone) gold and Callie Callaghan (Avonlea) bronze
Senior Boys Doubles
A Lafleche athlete during the semi-finals - MJ independent photo
Cornerstone’s senior boys doubles team during their match against Lafleche - MJ independent photo
Senior boys doubles district medal winners (left to right) - Lafleche (silver) , Briercrest (gold) and Mossbank (bronze)
The results were:
Gold - Cayden Tsoi and Boscoe Yiu from Briercrest
Silver - Eatin Lee and Jake Starke from Lafleche
Bronze - Ryder Peterson and Sahl Jolly from Mossbank
Senior Girls Doubles
Cornerstone’s team was a last minute replacement team that managed to place fourth - MJ independent photo
A member of the Central Butte Bulldogs senior girls, badminton team makes a forehand return - MJ independent photo
Senior girls doubles medals winners (left to right) - Glentworth (silver), Gravelbourg (gold) and Central Butte (bronze)
The medal winners were:
Gold - Miyah Tucker-Bellaire and Sophie Simonsen from Gravelbourg
Silver - Savannah Peterson and Crystal Mclean from Glentworth
Bronze - Fanny Beinecke and Eszter Szalacsi-Toth from Central Butte
Senior Mixed Doubles
Senior mixed doubles district medal winners (left to right) - Assiniboia (silver), Rouleai (gold) and Kincaid (bronze)
The medal winners were:
Gold - Chris Faris and Cara Faris from Rouleai
Silver - Davin Karst and Faith Keasnicki from Assiniboia
Bronze - Matthew Thibault and Ava Sayers from Kincaid
BANTAM (Grade Nine)
Bantam Boys Singles
Bantam boys district medal winners (left to right) - Zen Quimio silver (Central), Micah Salido-Porter gold (Central) and Grant Giloga bronze (Briercrest)
Bantam Girls Singles
Central Collegiate’s Tara Nguyen gets ready to return the bird during the gold medal match - mj independent photo
Charlize Hillmer from Assiniboia Elementary School runs down a bird during a lengthy volley in the gold medal match - MJ independent photo
Bantam girls singles district medal champions (left to right) - Charlize Hillmer silver (Assiniboia elementary school, Tara Nguyen gold (Central) and Ksenia Osiowy bronze (Briercrest)
Bantam Boys Doubles
Vanier Collegiate’s bantam boys doubles team in action at districts on Saturday afternoon - MJ Independent photo
Vanier Collegiate’s bantam boys doubles team in action at districts on Saturday afternoon - MJ Independent photo
Bantam boys, doubles district medal winners (left to right) - Lafleche (sliver), Rouleai (gold) and Central Butte (bronze)
The medal winners were:
Gold - Wyatt Fleet and Brydon Faris from Rouleau
Silver - Kayson Packet and Tyson Starke from Lafleche
Bronze - Carter Stewart and Pistil Marks from Central Butte
Bantam Girls Doubles
MC Grace Castillo from Gravelbourg tracks the bird during the gold medal game - MJ independent photo
Bantam girls doubles district medal winners (left to right) - Rouleau (silver), Gravelbourg (gold) and Rockglen (bronze)
The winners were:
Gold - MC Grace Castillo and Madeline Bourgeois from Gravelbourg
Silver - Geneva Brown and Avery Krauss from Rouleau
Bronze - Skyleigh Pituley and Karyss Harden from Rockgken
Bantam Mixed Doubles
Bantam mixed doubles district medal winners (left to right) - Gravelbourg (silver) , Glentworth (gold) and Central (bronze)
The winners were:
Gold - Addyson Okraincee and Owen Okraincee from Glentworth
Silver - Miley Kleckner and Connor Hawkins from Gravelbourg
Bronze - Thea Bronson and Eliah Apuanda from Central