Muskie badminton players a ‘smash’ at NorWOSSA qualifier

Coming off an undefeated record at last week’s qualifier, Muskie Katie Vittie is looking to continue that hot streak at the NorWOSSA badminton tournament today in Kenora.
Breezing through the senior girls’ singles division in Ignace with a 7-0 mark, Vittie admitted she has her sights on a much bigger tournament–the all-Ontarios later this month in Timmins.
But she will have to get through NorWOSSA–and then NWOSSAA on April 20–first.
Playing against some of the top players in both Winnipeg and Thunder Bay this past season with the local badminton club definitely has made a difference in her game, Muskie head coach Brian Church said.
“To play competitively, and also practice, allows the players to take their game up a notch,” he noted at Monday afternoon’s practice. “With the experience of playing against opponents, [it] allows [the players] to test all the aspects of their game.”
Church said the added playing time Vittie, along with junior boys’ singles player Adrian Bondett, received outside of the high school program helped them a great deal, especially because there is very little room for coaching during games.
Add to that a short schedule–just three weeks long–and Church simply does not have enough time to look at all aspects of their game.
“The problem is the three-week schedule but these players still have all improved quite a bit,” he noted.
Bondett is another singles player who has taken his game to the next level. He also showcased his talent at the NorWOSSA qualifier in Ignace, finishing atop his division with a 5-0 record.
More of a finesse player compared to the hard-hitting Vittie, Bondett uses a strong array of drop and net shots to keep his opponent off-balance during a game.
Church felt Bondett also has a good shot at doing well at NorWOSSA.
But the Muskies also will have a strong duo in Jason Brant and Jamie Booth competing in the senior boys’ doubles division.
They advanced to Kenora by finishing third in the qualifier last week. After finishing second in their pool, they nipped host Ignace 15-9, 12-15, and 15-12 to grab the third and final NorWOSSA berth.
Despite playing together for the first time, both players have done a fine job using their quickness and communicating on the court, which helps them in tight games.
Meanwhile, the Muskies had several other top finishers at the qualifier in Ignace, including Kendal Gamsby (fourth in junior boys’ singles), Chantel Shine (fourth in junior girls’ singles), and Siobhan Devlin/Melissa Angus (fourth in senior girls’ doubles).
Only the top three teams in each division advanced to NorWOSSA.