Re-cap of Day 1 of CCAA Badminton National Championships
March 5, 2009
Members of the NAIT Ooks badminton team got off to a great start on day one of the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association national badminton championship today.
Dan Kai, the defending CCAA national champion and Alberta Colleges Athletic Association champion, was in good form in his first three round robin match-ups in men's singles. Kai defeated the Atlantic Colleges Athletic Association champion Ryan McIntosh in two sets (21-6, 21-8) and the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association champion Raymond Wong in two sets (21-14, 21-14). In his final match of the day, Kai defeated Mark Wong of the OCAA Host team, also in two sets (21-15,21-14).
In women's singles, defending ACAC and CCAA champion Yang Sun was also a perfect 3-0 on day one with wins over the ACAA champion Elysia Atkinson (21-14, 21-10) in two sets, the OCAA champion Jody Carruthers (21-11,21-11) in two sets, and former NAIT badminton player Karen Ng, of the OCAA Host team, in two sets (21-14, 21-10).
As a member of the ACAC Wildcard team, three-time ACAC silver medalist Ogul Kaltakci defeated the OCAA champion Carruthers in two sets (21-9, 21-4), and OCAA Host team member Karen Ng in two sets (21-13, 21-6). In her third match, Ogul was defeated by the British Columbia Colleges Athletic Association champion, Lynn Haung, in two sets (21-10, 21-18).
ACAC mixed doubles gold medalists Joey Vandervet and Sinead Cheah also turned in a solid performance on day one with wins over the ACAA champions Julien Leblanc and Ariel Aucoin (21-6, 21-3), the OCAA champions Mike Del Fante and Kayla Odorizzi (21-9,21-14), and over Jordan Brooks and Julianne Clifford (21- 8, 21-17) of the OCAA host team.
Finally, ACAC bronze medalists Jonathan Chang and Natalie Neumann defeated OCAA champions Del Fante and Odorizzi in an exciting three set match (21-14, 13-21, 21-17), as well as the OCAA Host team Brooks and Clifford in three sets (21-14, 19-21, 21-7), before losing to the BCCAA champions Andy Cheung and Amy Leung in a close two set match (21-20, 21-17).
On day two the teams will wrap-up the round robin portion of the tournament and play the semi-final matches. The ACAC and ACAC Wildcard teams will square off in round robin play this morning as Dan Kai takes on Jie Yung Sim of the Concordia Thunder, while Sun and Kaltakci face-off in a rematch of the ACAC gold medal match-up. In the second all-NAIT match-up of the day, Vandervet and Cheah will face teammates Chang and Neumann in their first match.
Team ACAC then moves on to face the BCCAA champions with Kai taking on Shawn Zhang, in what many believe will be the eventual gold medal match-up. Sun will play Haung, which could very well be another gold medal match preview. Vandervet and Cheah will also face their stiffest competition in the BCCAA champions, Cheung and Leung.
The ACAC Wildcard team wraps up its round robin with matches against the ACAA champions. Kaltakci will face Atkinson, while Chang and Neumann take on Leblanc and Aucoin.
All of the NAIT Ooks athletes are in strong positions heading into day two,and we wish them all the best of luck!
Follow all the action on day two and three with live updates at http://www.twitter.com/naitooks and check out up to the minute scores at http://www.humberathletics.ca/ccaabadminton/ !