MAPLE CREEK -- Three Moose Jaw players will be in action at the Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association provincial badminton championships after putting together successful showings at regional playdowns in Maple Creek this past weekend.
The Central mixed doubles team of Tara Nguyen and Micah Salido-Porter went undefeated in their regional tournament while Cornerstone Christian School’s Kiana Hrechka landed the second-place berth in the girls singles division.
Nguyen and Salido-Porter had absolutely no difficulty taking top spot in their class, putting together straight-sets wins in each of their five matches.
That included a 21-11, 21-2 victory over fellow Â鶹ÊÓƵ Central competitors Layla Rotheisler and Manny Pagan out of Gravelbourg followed by a 21-8, 21-11 win over Regina O’Neill’s Eng and Quangtakoune, 21-14, 21-9 victory against Regina Riffel’s Pham and Pham, 21-6, 21-12 win against Swift Current’s Allan and Unger and a 21-18, 21-12 win over Maple Creek’s Frey and Buss.
Rotheisler and Pagan would go on to post an 0-5 record and finish sixth.
Hrechka opened her run with a 21-10, 21-13 win over Vanier’s Gwen Baluyut before running into eventual regional champion Sophie O’Neill and dropping a 21-13, 21-9 decision. It was clear sailing from there, though, as Hrechka defeated Regina Campbell’s Zhang 21-17, 21-14, Swift Current’s Riego 21-9, 21-8 and Maple Creek’s Frey 21-15, 21-14 to finish second and land her provincial berth.
Baluyut went 1-4 and finished in fifth place.
The Cornerstone team of Tanner Behrns and Drew Biette came as close as possible to qualifying, posting a 3-2 record that included a tough three-set 13-21, 21-8, 21-18 loss to Leader’s Cocks and Ries in their final game. That was good enough for a three-way tie for second place, but the tiebreaker format wouldn’t go their way and they’d end up in third place by the slimmest of margins.
Central’s Gabriel Calub and Austin Smith went 1-4 and finished fifth.
Central’s Zen Quimio was unable to return to provincials in boys singles after posting a 2-3 record and finishing fourth, while Avonlea’s Hudson Heistad was winless at 0-5.
Rouleau’s Avery Krauss and Geneva Brown finished a single win away from a girls doubles provincial berth but ended up in their place with a 3-2 record. Mossbank’s Kaydance Ray and Lindy Jolly went 1-4 and finished fifth.
The SHSAA provincial badminton championships take place on May 10 in Estevan, and be sure to check out early this week for the tournament draws.
