Olds College badminton player Sherry Hahn won an all-conference award and the team wound up winning several bronze medals during ACAC Provincials, held Feb. 18-19 at the Ralph Klein Centre.
Hahn and Layce Donaldson won bronze in women's doubles. Kieran Johnson and Hahn won another bronze medal in mixed doubles. And the team as a whole beat King's College of Edmonton 6-1 to take bronze in the team championship.
"We had a pretty successful weekend. We did really well, so I was very excited," coach Mary Dawn Smith says. "The girls and the boys just barely missed getting into the gold medal matches but we were very happy with our bronze medals."
Smith says it was an especially impressive accomplishment to beat King's College.
"They've had their program longer than we do and they have a lot more resources and coaches," she says.
"All season long, we'd been getting better, tournament after tournament, but we were kind of falling behind them. So it was a very exciting win for us. It was very emotional and exciting."
Eight of the team's nine players participated in the championships. One had to sit out due to an ankle injury.
This marks the end of the season for the Olds College badminton team.
Smith anticipates about four members of this year's team will return next year.
She also anticipates having about the same size team next year.
"It's manageable for one coach," Smith says. "Last year I had 17 kids on the badminton team. This year we took a different strategy and kept it to a small team so I could individually help them more with their skills. I think that was the right choice."
She says this year's finish was especially impressive because when the season began, players weren't well versed in the game.
"These medals that these kids earned this year, none of them were badminton players when they came in to the college. They (played) basketball, volleyball, golf," Smith says.
"So the fact that they came this far and have been playing against athletes from the other colleges who have been playing since they were little was a very big feat for us.
"It was actually exceptional that they're competing at the same level as people who have been playing their whole life."
Smith is also pleased with the way team members performed academically and participated in the community.
"I am very proud of the badminton team," she says. "Every member's GPA (Grade Point Average) is above 3.5 with a full course load.
"They have volunteered their time for every event on campus, as well as community events.
"Layce Donaldson headed her own fundraiser to help support our annual trip to compete in a international competition in Hawaii (this past January).
"They are in the community volunteering their time coaching Grade 7 and 8 badminton teams, as well as mentoring 8-12 year-olds with Olds Badminton Club on Monday evenings at Ecole Deer Meadow School.
"I am outright impressed how these young student athletes manage their full schedules."
"The fact that they came this far and have been playing against athletes from the other colleges who have been playing since they were little was a very big feat for us."MARY SMITH OLDS COLLEGE BADMINTON COACH
