Susie Aikenhead of Rainy River overcame an opening loss at the NWOSSAA badminton championships in Thunder Bay yesterday to claim top spot in the senior girls’ division with a 4-1 record and a berth at the all-Ontario championships in Sudbury next month.
“My first game at every tournament I played this year has been brutal,” she told the Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal. “The second game [yesterday] got better, and it got better and better all through the day.”
It will be Aikenhead’s second-straight trip to the all-Ontarios. Last year, she went 1-3 in Timmins.
Jill Skogberg of St. Ignatius (Thunder Bay) also advanced to OFSAA after finishing second.
Aikenhead’s only loss came against Muskie Katie Vittie. Vittie, who advanced to OFSAA last year, finished in a three-way tie for second at 3-2 record but pulled out of the tie-breaker after an injury.
In senior boys’ action, Muskie Adrian Bondett, a junior-aged player competing in the senior division for the first time, finished in fifth place with a 1-4 record.
Anu Panu (Hammarskjold) and Kevin O’Shaughnessy (Chapleau) finished first and second respectively and will move on to the all-Ontarios.
Meanwhile, the Muskie junior duo of Sarah Paterson and Jennifer Lawson continued their dominance in doubles play, finishing in first place with a 5-0 record.
Unfortunately, junior teams do not advance to OFSAA.
Other senior winners included:
•Girls’ doubles–1. Becky Gilles/Nicole Halase (Atikokan) 2. Pam Bujold/Diana Ehelebe (Atikokan)
•Boys’ doubles–1. Eric Zacharias/Chris Belmore (Atikokan) 2. David Covello/James Caron (Atikokan)
•Mixed doubles–1. Robin Saari/Ken Lingenfelter (Chapleau) 2. Renee Vachon/Chris Globush (Red Lake)
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
