INNISFAIL – Students from across Central Alberta recently put their badminton skills to the test.
Innisfail High School and Innisfail Middle School welcomed badminton players for the annual Innisfail Badminton Tournament on April 5 and 6.
“This is our annual tournament and we put on the tournament to give kids in Central Alberta the opportunity to play badminton in a competitive setting,” said Dean Woroniuk, athletic director at Innisfail High School.
This year saw the largest number of participants, noted Woroniuk, pointing to 400 youth from across Central Alberta, including those from Coronation, Red Deer, Penhold, Bowden, Sundre, Didsbury, Delburne, Caroline and Innisfail.
“It’s an excellent tournament this year. We have (badminton players) from grades 7 through 12,” he said, noting the tournament consists of singles and doubles competitions.
The school badminton season begins with practices in February and runs until about mid-May.
“For our grade 10, 11 and 12 students, we have areas coming up in a couple of weeks and then the zones are a week after,” explained Woroniuk. “We expect some of our kids to do well and we’re hoping to be going to provincials again with some of the same players we took last year.”
Junior badminton players in grades 7 through 9 will participate in the Chinook’s Edge North Athletic Association (CENAA) at the end of April, with the Central West Alberta Junior High Athletic Association (CWAJHAA) tournament in early May.
Woroniuk noted several dedicated coaches and volunteers with badminton and the annual tournament, both at the junior and senior levels, including Bob Klatt, Pat Adams and Rachelle French.
“This event does not happen without the teachers, parents and student volunteers,” he said.
Woroniuk said the annual Innisfail tournament gives participants a chance to prepare for the upcoming areas and zone events, while practising and refining their badminton skills.
“We’re just trying to give kids an opportunity to play more tournaments in Central Alberta,” Woroniuk concluded.
The 2019 Innisfail Badminton Tournament medal winners from Innisfail include:
Girls' Singles: Grade 7 - Pascale Biggar, Gold Medal; Grade 11 - Alexis Kinder, Bronze Medal,
Boys' Singles: Grade 7 - Jayden Ann, Gold Medal; Grade 10 - Jaden Bowe, Gold Medal.
Mixed Doubles: Grade 7 - Grace Gabert and Nolan Burton, Gold Medal; Grade 10 - Tanner Abraham and Reanna Phillips, Bronze Medal; Grade 11/12 - Ethan Layden and Ally Thompson, Silver Medal.
Boys' Doubles: Grade 7 - Chase Harrington and Luke Dodd, Silver Medal; Grade 9 - Shay Styner and Cade Amundson, Silver Medal.
Girls' Doubles: Grade 9 Shannon Wachter and Tiha Schaedeli, Gold Medal; Grade 11 - Madison Towle and Allison Jensen, Silver Medal; and Grade 12 - Ally Thompson and Shynelle Woroniuk, Gold Medal.
