News

The NAIT Ooks continued to dominate ACAC badminton last weekend, dominating the Mount Royal Cougars, Concordia Thunder and Red Deer Kings in the second ACAC tournament of the current school year.

The victory increased NAIT's lead in the overall race and improves the team's chances of repeating as ACAC champions this year. The national championship will be hosted by NAIT in 2010.

The women's team -- Sun Yang, Sinead Cheah, Ogul Kaltakci and Natalie Neumann -- went undefeated as the Ooks swept past Mount Royal 7-2, Concordia 6-3 and Red Deer 9-0.

Coach Jordan Richey was concerned with areas of the men's play. Despite a strong tournament by Jonathan Chang, who registered a perfect record of four wins and no losses, the men absorbed four of the team's five defeats.

"It would have been easy for the players to lose motivation because of our big lead in overall point standings, but for the most part that wasn't the case," Richey said. "Our goal at the semester break was to be in first place and that is where we are."

The Ooks will compete in the Honolulu Open on Oahu in the first four days of 2010 before returning to renew the ACAC season Jan. 16 and 17 in a tournament hosted by Concordia.