The Edison Eagles from Okotoks are hoping a few extra players can add up to their second provincial badminton championship in three years.
The Eagles had six players qualify for the singles at the provincials May 6-7 in Strathmore by finishing first or second at the South Central Zone championship at Edison School on April 20.
“Our goal this year is to win back the banner,” Eagles coach Billy Gilliland said. “Last year, we lost the banner by one or two points. We focused more on singles this year so we can get more players to provincials.”
The Eagles won the 1A provincial championship (enrolment less than 100 students) in 2009, but they were edged by E. H. Walker School from Paradise Valley last year.
Edison sent three entries last season, two singles and a doubles team. This year, they will send seven entries including six singles players and a doubles team.
The Eagles won the gold medal at zones in the Junior, Intermediate and Senior boys’ singles divisions. Edison also won the gold medal in the Junior girls and took home silver in the Intermediate girls’ singles.
John Chernoff was playing a class above in winning the gold in the Senior boys’ singles. He is a Grade 11 student and could have played at the Intermediate level, but jumped up to Senior to provide an opportunity for teammate Michael Boland.
“I definitely thought I had a good chance to win at zones,” Chernoff said. “I have played really hard this year, and I thought I would do well. I am in Grade 11, but Michael Boland is a very good player and we didn’t want to bump each other out.”
He said he doesn’t think making the jump to Grade 12 will hurt his chances for medaling at provincials.
“By Grade 12 some of the players are starting to quit high school badminton,” Chernoff said. “Grade 12 is going to be tough, but maybe not as tough as Grade 11.”
Chernoff was fourth last year at provincials when he played at the Junior level.
Although he would love to medal, the key is to win a team championship for Edison.
“I’m not too concerned (about the individual play),” Chernoff said. “I would like to win the banner, so I will play wherever Billy wants to play me. He knows best.”
Thus far, Gilliland’s strategy is working.
Boland, who lives in Okotoks, is going to provincials after beating Tyson Newton from Didsbury in the Intermediate final at zones.
The other boys single champion from Edison was Darius Kamal who won the South Central Junior title.
Jessica Melville took home the silver medal, but more importantly, she is on her way to provincials.
“I’m happy because our team did really well, we won five gold medals,” Melville said. “Hopefully, I can do better at provincials and we can win the banner.”
The other Edison Eagles going to provincials are Brittany Lindberg who won the Junior girls’ title a zone. Okotoks area resident Jasmine Wiggins is also making the trip to Olds after finishing second at zones in the Senior girls’ singles division.
The Eagles’ double team of Nathan Daly and Lewis Hill won the Junior boys’ division to qualify for provincials. The top two teams in singles at zones advance to provincials, only the winning team in doubles gets to go on.
The Oilfields Drillers team of Jace Elliott and Alexander Scott were third at zones in Senior boys’ doubles and the Strathcona-Tweedsmuir Spartans Grade 11 team of Rebecca VanHelden and Brock Hadden placed third in mixed doubles at zones.
Foothills Composite Falcons did not have any players win medals at zones.
To see the South Central zone badminton results go to Scoreboard on page xxxxx.
