If you blinked recently, you might have missed the chance to see some birdies fly — no, not robins!
“Our badminton season was unfortunately really short,” Callum Turner, Sundre High School’s athletic director, said last week.
With basketball winding up late and spring break occurring later in the year as well, badminton essentially had to be wrapped up before the school closed for a week, Turner said, adding there were only about three weeks of actual practice.
But even so, two students earned a spot in zones, which were hosted in Strathmore. One was Grade 12 student Kirstyn Valentine and the other was Grade 9 student Kaiden Vennard. No pairs ended up in any doubles competitions. Regardless, the past season was overall a good run, with many students doing quite well, placing high in second and third, he said.
Provincials for seniors followed the zone championships, but there were no Sundre students who qualified to compete at that level this year, he said.
“We might have done better with a longer season,” he said, adding scheduling dates for zones is beyond the school’s ability to influence.
There were about 20 students involved in the high school’s badminton program this season, which is now all wrapped up, he said.
The school’s athletics director said the focus has now shifted to the upcoming track and field season, with the senior high divisional track meet scheduled for May 15 in Didsbury and the junior high divisional track meet lined up the following week on May 23, also in Didsbury.
