Badminton
The provincial badminton championships have been decided.
Charlottetown Rural High School athletes swept the senior titles at the P.E.I. School Athletic Association (PEISAA) provincial badminton championships.
Jack Digout won the boys’ title while Emma Jinks took home the provincial girls’ gold medal.
This year, four Charlottetown and area schools were used, along with Bluefield High School, for the recent provincial finals. Championship titles in novice, bantam, intermediate, juvenile and senior boys’ and girls’ categories were all up for grabs in singles, doubles and mixed play. Most of Island schools were represented in zone playoffs, with the top two from the four zones advancing to the provincials in novice, bantam and intermediate. In juvenile, senior and mixed categories, there were East and West regional events to decide finalists.
Finals
In a very close senior boys’ final, Digout outlasted Benoit Sampson of Bluefield 23-21, 1421, 24-22 to win the provincial title. Ethan Oliver from Westisle defeated Brandon Hastings of Three Oaks in another very close match – 19-21, 24-22 and 21-19 – to claim the senior boys’ bronze medal.
In doubles action, Digout and Daniel Sanayie of Rural defeated Colin Curran and Cam White of Montague 21-15, 21-11. The bronze medal was won by Colonel Gray. Jason Chen and Bradley Norman defeated Steven McGeoghan and Evan Stewart of Montague 21-17 21-17.
With a first-place showing in singles and a first in doubles, Charlottetown Rural won the provincial championship with 10 points.
In the senior girls’ final, Emma Jinks of Charlottetown Rural defeated Lexi Murphy of Kensington. The scores were 21-5, 21-6. Gracyn Handrahan of Westisle defeated Grace Gormley of Montague 17-21, 21-9, 21-19 to claim the bronze medal.
In a very close doubles final, Katherine McEwen and Robyn Power of Rural defeated Gracyn Handrahan and Ashton Grigg of Westisle 21-19, 21-19. Murphy and Tessa Murray of Kensington defeated Morgan Jardine and Arika Pollard of Montague 11-21, 21-16, 21-16 to claim the bronze medal.
By winning both senior singles and doubles’ Charlottetown Rural won the provincial team championship with 10 points. Phoebe Mitchell and Jack Ronahan of Colonel Gray won the senior mixed doubles championship.
They defeated Grace Gormley and Colin Curran of Montague 14-21, 21-13, 21-17. Anita Li and Bradley Norman of Gray defeated Katherine Zhu and Isaac MacKinnon of Rural 21-13, 19-21, 21-16 to win the bronze medal. Colonel Gray won the senior mixed provincial title with seven points.