CASS badminton coach Stadnisky’s hairstyle safe - for this year

College Avenue Knights girls’ doubles competitor Maci Hampson stretches for a shot. (Jeff Tribe Photo)

Jeff Tribe, Echo Correspondent

Woodstock College Avenue Knights senior badminton coach Julia Stadnisky’s hairstyle is safe.

“Until next year,” interjected Knights’ mixed doubles competitor Owen Procenko.

There was some understanding of a link between his own cheetah print ‘do’ and radical change for Stadinsky, should he and partner Payton Jones finish in the top two at Western Ontario Secondary Schools Athletic Association (WOSSAA) competition on April 21 at London Saunders, thereby qualifying for provincials.

As Thames Valley Regional Athletics (TVRA) Southeast champions, Procenko and Jones entered the WOSSAA draw seeded second, facing and downing 15th seed London St. Thomas Aquinas in their opening match, 21-8, 21-19.

“If (high seeding) definitely made it a lot easier for us,” said Procenko.

Their second and third matches would, however, demonstrate the elevated level of competition at regionals, a 21-11, 21-11 loss to London Central, followed by a tournament-ending 21-12, 13-21, 21-15 defeat to London Montcalm.

“Close games,” said Procenko. “I think we were in our heads the last set.”

Although not the finish they had hoped for, the experience was certainly positive for the Grade 11 competitors. Having been provided an enhanced understanding of the level of opposition, Procenko looks forward to additional preparation time at the Woodstock Badminton Club, along with planning a new hairstyle for next year’s competition.

Woodstock CI Red Devil mixed tandems Lily Melanson and Greydon Brewer and Eliot and Dezmond McCarthy also competed in the mixed doubles division, the former opening against London Banting (21-5, 21-8) and Listowell (21-15, 23-25, 21-14) and the latter London CCH (21-8, 21-12) and St. Marys respectively.

Three Woodstock-based teams competed in girls’ doubles, TVRA Southeast champions Olivia Elias and Amanpreet Banwait, unfortunately, were unable to attend due to a conflict with Ontario Volleyball Association provincials. Woodstock St. Mary’s Warriors Oriana Belmonte and Ella Arthur won their middle match of three, coming back to down Stratford 16-21, 21-11, 21-17, opening against London Central 2 (21-12, 21-6) and concluding with St. Thomas Parkside’s Kade Kewley and Anesa Lumani (21-17, 21-16).

“They (Belmonte and Arthur) gave a good effort and never gave up,” said Warriors coach Josie Abela. “I’m proud of them for getting to WOSSAA.”

WCI’s Emma Holme and Ivy Caskanette faced Arva Medway (21-8, 21-16) and Listowel (21-18, 21-15) in their draw, while Red Devils teammates Eden Fraser and Lilli Taylor were up against London Central (21-9, 21-17) and Mitchell (23-21, 17-21, 21-16).

Ingersoll DCI’s Hannah Law rebounded from a tough opening loss to London Clarke Road, downing Stratford St. Mike’s 21-19, 21-16 before exiting with a 21-11, 21-13 loss to SDCI. Huron Park’s Navtej Bedi faced two strong opponents, dropping a 21-15, 21-12 decision to SDA before falling 21-17, 21-14 to London Regina Mundi.

Junior WOSSAA

Ingersoll DCI’s Hannah Madanant led Oxford-based badminton competitors on April 28 at London Saunders, opening with back-to-back victories before running into the eventual champion.

Entering the draw as TVRA Southeast champion, Madanant defeated MTS 2 21-8, 21-4 before downing St. Marys 21-8, 21-14. In her third match, she faced the eventual undefeated champion from Arva Medway, dropping a tight 21-19 first-set decision followed by a 21-9 score in the second. Madanant would then exit the draw via a narrow 21-15, 21-16 decision to St. Thomas Aquinas, unofficially finishing the competitive girls’ singles division tied for fifth with London Banting.

Huron Park’s Liam Fallowfield competed in boys singles, opening with a 21-9, 21-7 loss to London South before exiting with a 21-15, 21-13 decision to St. Marys. Huskies teammates Charles Thomson and Fyfer MacDonald opened boys doubles competition with a tough three-set loss (21-17, 14-21, 21-16) to London Oakridge 2, falling to Stratford 2 in their second match. Woodstock CI’s Owen Vandesar and Aiden Silos picked up a gutsy win in their second match, 21-11, 10-21, 21-19 over Listowel 2, around opening and closing losses to Oakridge 1 (21-17, 21-8) and Oakridge 2 (23-21, 19-21, 21-19) respectively.

Woodstock CI girls' doubles competitors Avery Molinaro and Jillian Trepanier dropped their opening match to MTS 21-15, 21-12 before falling to St. Marys 23-21, 17-21, 21-19 in a tight, three-set encounter. Ingersoll’s Abby Jones and Brielle Graham faced London Lucas (21-4, 21-9) and Stratford (21-15, 21-18) in their two matches.

TVRA Southeast mixed doubles champions Aabil Ali and Kat Pye opened their draw with a 21-11, 21-17 win over HCC before falling 21-19, 21-15 to London South, and subsequently, 21-17, 15-21, 21-19 in a tight three-set match to Lucas 2.

Ali and Pye had a great season and credited Knights junior coach Amanda Jackson, winning both the TVRA East and Southeast tournaments without losing a game.

“Kat and Aahil had a great start at WOSSAA and then two tricky matches,” she added. “South showed us where we needed to improve, and Lucas only squeaked by them in the third set.”

WCI’s Jack Hagen-Johnson and Claire Gyimesi opened against London Banting (21-16, 21-18), finishing up against Exeter South Huron. Their efforts were part of a 14-member combined Woodstock CI senior-junior contingent, the largest in the TVRA Southeast division.

“I’ll call that a victory,” summed up coach Jeff Melanson.