ACAC Badminton Championship Preview
by ACAC Sports Writer Curtis J. Phillips
A few questions to ask heading into the 2017-2018 Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) Badminton Championships to be held February 10 - 11, 2018 at The Kings University Eagles gymnasium in Edmonton.
NAIT Ooks lead team standings with 498 points after three ACAC regular season tournaments while the Concordia University of Edmonton Thunder are in second at 433 points.
In third is The Kings University Eagles with 391 points while the Olds College Broncos are in fourth at 255 points.
The ACAC team finals will he held Saturday while the categories of men's and women's singles and doubles along with mixed doubles will be staged Sunday.
Claiming all three ACAC tournament men's singles titles in convincing fashion this year, is Ooks' Imran Wadia.
Wadia defeated Thunder's Nicolas Pittman in two tournament finals by scores of 21-14, 21-11 and 21-17, 21-15. In the other tournament finals it was Thunders' Desmond Wang on the losing end 21-13 21-14.
Is he beatable?
"We had a last minute change, so he may not be in men's singles at the tournament," said Ooks' coach Sinead Cheah. "We may put him in a different event. Knowing that the men's singles is the strongest in the west, we can put him in the (Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association) events that may be more predetermined to win."
Coach's select the events in which they believe their athletes will perform best at the 2018 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Badminton National Championships February 27 - March 4, 2018 to be hosted by Concordia University of Edmonton Thunder.
Wadia along with teammate Andy Ko earned silver in men's doubles at last year's CCAA Badminton championships held in Toronto Ontario and hosted by Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology
That leaves the men's singles door wide open.
John Li from the host Eagles.
"We will have Nicolas (Pittman) in singles and he will be one of the favourites," said Thunder coach Kevin MacAlpine.
Also on the lookout is
"John Li has finished fourth in just about every tournament and he has a chance to finish second or third here depending on whom NAIT and Concordia puts in," said Eagles' coach Naeem Haque.
Down in Olds College, head coach Mary Smith has a few hopefuls with Luther Jurke and Landon Murphy.
"They're doing surprisingly well for first years that didn't know much about the sport until they joined in September."
Will the women's singles title come down to the familiar pairing of Thunder's Takeisha Wang and Ooks' Eyota Kwan?
The two met all three times in the title match of the regular season format, Wang won two tournaments with 21-15, 21-23, 21-10 and 21-11 and 21-10 finals while Kwan's lone win was a 21-12, 13-21 21-17 affair.
"Takeisha (Wang) is the favourite here and she has a good shot at nationals," said MacAlpine, of Wang, who claimed silver at the 2017 CCAA.
Also keep an eye out for Eagles' Abby Ledda who had two third place finishes this year.
"I am very confident that Abby will finish second to make the (CCAA) team," said Haque.
"Kaitlyn Dougan will likely end up third to fifth depending on her performance," said Smith.
Men's doubles is wide open and once again will depend on who the coaches will select to compete Sunday.
"We will have Desmond (Wang) and Braxton (Wong) in men's doubles," said MacAlpine. "They will be a very strong team and you never know what will happen."
"John Li and Joel Simrose have done pretty well this year and they have a good chance," said Haque.
"All of our men are capable and strong in men's doubles," said Cheah.
In women's doubles: "Kaylee (Morris) and Kassidy (Turcotte) have been improving exponentially over the last couple of years. On paper they are a little behind the NAIT teams they have been playing," said MacAlpine.
"If Abby finishes second (women's singles) we will put her in doubles with Annika Jacobsson as you want to put in the best teams," said Haque.
Ooks' Caitlyn New and Kaitlyn Wilbee captured two of the ACAC tournaments this season placing second in the other falling to teammates Ryo Kuramochi and Eyota Kwan.
"Our women's doubles of Kaitlyn Dougan and Layce Donaldson have a shot at gold," said Smith.
Mixed doubles is also on the bill.
Held since 1970-71 with a hiatus from 2012-2014, the sport of badminton has only had one athlete to win ACAC men's singles four times with NAIT Ooks Dan Kai (2007-2009 2010-2012) while Ooks Yang Sun won the women's singles title four times also (2007-2011).
A total of 16 ACAC athletes will advance to the national stage.