‘Hard no’ on the cheetah print, Jones still sharing top TVRA Southeast seed to WOSSAA

Sisters in purple Amanpreet Banwait (left) and Olivia Elias got their two-woman badminton band back together this year and captured the TVRA Southeast senior girls doubles championship. (Jeff Tribe Photo)

Jeff Tribe, Echo Correspondent

It would have been hard for Owen Procenko to sign his artistic creation.

But he did name it.

“The cheetah print,” responded the Woodstock College Avenue (CASS) Knights Thames Valley Regional Athletics Southeast senior mixed doubles champion of what safely could be described as a distinctive hairstyle.

Inspired by a TikTok video, Procenko spent a total of 13 hours imprinting his natural brunette hair with the African-inspired pattern.

“Bleach blond, a little bit of brown and some black dye was used for the cutline,” clarified Procenko, agreeing it was ‘a statement.’

Procenko has spent even more time on badminton than hairstyling, augmenting Knights practice with additional hours at the Woodstock Badminton Club. He and partner Payton Jones advanced into the final match, undefeated, on Thursday, April 16 at Woodstock Huron Park, where St. Thomas Central Elgin Titans Phillip Ludwig and Janay Gillard made them work for the title, taking game one by a 21-19 score.

CASS coach Julia Stadnisky urged Jones to be more assertive during the break before game two, calling shots loud enough for her grandma Dorothy Garfat, sitting in the elevated Woodstock Huron Park mezzanine, to hear. Stadnisky’s exhortations, along with an aggressive mindset right off the bat, paid off in a 21-16 turnaround, the Knights locking up the match with a 21-13 win in the third game.

“I think they played hard, together, like a team,” assessed Garfat.

Their victory was important as they will take the TVRA Southeast top seed into Western Ontario Secondary Schools Athletics Association playdowns Thursday, April 23, at London Saunders. The top two teams from each 16-team pool there qualify for the Ontario Federation of Schools Athletic Association (OFSAA) finals April 30 to May 2 in Toronto. Provincial championships have been a goal, says Procenko, since Grade 7.

Rumour has it that should they finish in the OFSAA medals, coach Stadinsky may also be in for an altered hairstyle.

“Top two,” she clarified. “Get it right.”

But the cheetah print is not a commitment Jones will be sharing, at provincials or for that matter, WOSSAA.

“Nope,” she confirmed. “Hard no.”

Jones and Procenko will be joined in the WOSSAA mixed doubles division by Woodstock CI’s Lily Melanson and Greydon Brewer who finished third, and Dezmond McCarthy and Eliot McCarthy in fourth.

“Could have been better, but we’re happy, right?” stated/queried Brewer of his partner.

“We’re just happy to move on,” Melanson confirmed.

The McCarthy’s are a study in sibling support rather than rivalry, the Grade 10 Eliot stepping up to senior to play with her Grade 11 brother.

“Hopefully we can get up in the rankings,” she said.

Woodstock Huron Park Huskies Olivia Elias and Amanpreet Banwait are the other Oxford-based TVRA Southeast champions, sweeping to the girls' doubles title, finishing with a win over St. Thomas Parkside Stampeders Kade Kewley and Anesa Lumani. Sisters in purple rather than Blues Brothers, they’ve gotten their two-member badminton ‘band’ back together after an injury-driven hiatus.

“We’ve heard of the reference, just don’t know the movie,” said Banwait, the nicest possible way to say ‘you’re old’, without saying ‘you’re old.’

“What’s it on?” asked Elias, curious enough to give the 1980 Dan Aykroyd/John Belushi classic - originally viewed at the drive-in a frightening 45 years ago - at least a passing Google.

The pair finished second at junior TVRA Southeast in Grade 9, taking the title in Grade 10. Last year, Elias tore her ACL during volleyball, missing their Grade 11 season as a result.

“This year, here we are,” she said, not only back, but heading to WOSSAA as the conference’s number one seed. “This was always the goal, and we’re happy to achieve it.”

“It’s our final year,” added Banwait. “Might as well make the most of it.”

Huron Park coach Elaine Back never watched The Blues Brothers either. But she is thrilled for the pair to make a high school curtain call, or perhaps encore, together in style.

“And you couldn’t ask for two finer human beings to work with.”

WCI Red Devils Emma Holme and Ivy Caskanette’s faces matched the redness of their shirts following a semi-final loss to Kewley and Lumani, leaving them in third.

“Shows how hard we were working,” smiled Holme.

“Happy we got this far and on to WOSSAA,” added Caskanette.

Woodstock St. Mary’s Warriors Oriana Belmonte and Ella Arthur earned the fourth and final WOSSAA berth to round out the TVRA Southeast qualifiers.

Navtej Bedi also earned every bit of his second-place finish in boys' singles. Winning his first match, Bedi dropped his second to the eventual champion, Tyler Michiels from Lord Dorchester. Entering the loser’s bracket, Bedi won three consecutive gruelling matches, both upgrading his third-place finish from the TRVA East finals the week before and entering WOSSAA as the Southeast’s second seed.

“Things were tough,” he admitted with a smile. “I got my money’s worth, as you said.”

Bedi defeated Tillsonburg Glendale’s Om Vyas in the semis and also took a set off Michiels in the final, gaining confidence despite dropping a 21-11, 18-21, 21-18 decision.

“It was close,” said Bedi.

Ingersoll DCI’s Hannah Law added the final Oxford-based TVRA Southeast berth, finishing fourth in the girls' singles division after stepping up from the junior ranks last year.

“Tough games,” said Law. “Obviously, I wanted first, but still happy I got fourth.”

Led by victories in boys singles and doubles, Lord Dorchester took the TVRA Southeast team title, edging out Central Elgin in second. Junior TVRA Southeast playdowns were scheduled for Tuesday, April 21 at Parkside.

TVRA Southeast Senior Badminton

Top 4 Qualify for WOSSAA

Boys Singles:

1. Tyler Michiels (LDSS)

2. Navtej Bedi (HPSS)

3. Om Vyas (GHS)

4. Bennett Thomas (LDSS)

Girls Singles:

1. Reina Walters (CECI)

2. Abbigale Barton (SJHS)

3. Alex Centeno (EESS)

4. Hannah Law (IDCI)

Boys Doubles:

1. Max Graham/Joe Howey (LDSS)

2. Liam Campbell/Hudson Glover (SJHS)

3. Ty Titchner/Damon Fish (PCI)

4. Ewan Rutkaukas/Mitch Dennis (PCI)

Girls Singles:

1. Olivia Elias/Amanpreet Banwait (HPSS)

2. Kade Kewley/Anesa Lumani (PCI)

3. Emma Holme/Ivy Caskanette (WCI)

4. Oriana Belmonte/Ella Arthur (SMHS)

Mixed Doubles:

1. Payton Jones/Owen Procenko (CASS)

2. Philipp Ludwig/Janay Gillard (CECI)

3. Greydon Brewer/Lily Melanson (WCI)

4. Dezmond McCarthy/Eliot McCarthy (WCI)

TVRA East Senior Badminton Championships

Top 4 Qualified for TVRA Southeast Tournament

Girls Singles:

#1 - IDCI 1: Hannah Law

#2 - WCI: Gurleen Brar

#3 - IDCI 2: Isabella Bruinsma

#4 - HP: Raine Lin

Boys Singles:

#1 - LDSS 1: Tyler Michiels

#2 - LDSS 2: Bennett Thomas

#3 - HP1: Navtej Bedi

#4 - HP 2: Gavin Jansen

Girls Doubles:

#1 - HP: Olivia Elias & Amanpreet Banwait

#2 - SMHS: Oriana Belmonte & Ella Arthur

#3 - WCI 1: Lilly Taylor & Eden Fraser

#4 - WCI 2: Emma Holme & Ivy Caskanette

Boys Doubles:

#1 - LDSS 1: Max Graham & Joe Howey

#2 - SMHS: Travis Martens & Matthew Polidori

#3 - CASS: Memphis Fraser & Carter Rennie

#4 - LDSS 2: Aiden Hartmann & Cohen Cragg

Mixed Doubles:

#1 - CASS 1: Payton Jones & Owen Procenko

#2 - WCI 1: Greydon Brewer & Lily Melanson

#3 - WCI 2: Dezmond McCarthy & Eliot McCarthy

#4 - CASS 2: Max Brooks-Canon & Simrat Bains