Badminton team’s tourney journey

by Kelsey Hipkin

The MRC badminton team has been on the road since the start of the season on Oct. 18 but will be back in Cougar territory for the New Year.
The team was in Red Deer Oct. 18-19 and came in third just behind Concordia.
“The team did very well with some excellent individual results,” said head coach Hayden Kowel.
Nov. 22-23 the team headed to NAIT in Edmonton and placed third with a record of 1-2.
After the Christmas break, the team is home for their third tournament starting Jan. 17. Kowel said it is an individual tournament with five events taking place over the weekend.
Events are men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles and mixed doubles.
Kowel said the Jan.17 tournament is the start of three tournaments in four weeks for the team.
Kowel also gave some insight into the Cougars’ badminton competition.
“NAIT is very strong, as they have the defending national champions in men’s and women’s singles, and have added some first year players that will compete for National titles this year as well.
 
Concordia has four very strong players, two guys and two girls that we will have to defeat, but our team is much deeper overall.”
As of press time, the Cougar’s badminton team is currently sitting third place overall in ACAC play with 240 points behind Concordia with 308 and NAIT with 458.