Six Spartans step up to provincials

Times Reporter     

 

Six Strathmore High School (SHS) Spartans will be advancing to badminton provincials from May 2-3 in Lethbridge, because of a successful showing at zones in Olds on April 12. The team combined for 18 medals in total.

Senior Jessica Murphy – who won bronze last year at provincials and has attended since her Grade 10 year – and Shayla Pollock advanced, after each earned silver in singles. Jayden Smith won bronze at last year’s provincials as well; he won singles gold at zones, similar to Lauren Zandee. The only Spartans doubles team to advance was the gold winning pair of Jared Dougan and Reid Muenchrath.

“We also had four teams finish in silver,” coach Kenton Zandee said.

Unfortunately, in doubles, only the winning team advances to provincials, whereas in singles, the top two at zones advance.

“That’s probably going to be changed for next year. I would have had another eight players there, which is too bad. I’ve been lobbying to get that second team put in for decades. Winds of change are upon us,” Zandee said.

The zones banner – or team total – was not awarded in Olds, but Zandee knows it belongs to SHS.

“I can’t foresee any way that we would not have taken it. I don’t see anybody beating us,” he said. “They only started awarding the banner about six or seven years ago. But to be quite honest, if they had a banner before that, we probably would have won it 15 out of the last 20 years.”

Zandee will be focusing on fine-tuning in practice for his six players heading to Lethbridge, including giving them situational advice.

“The players who got to provincials obviously are very accomplished badminton players. They have the skillset for the most part,” he said. “It’s more of me instructing them what shots to play in certain situations. Once they learn that, they become very tough players to play against.”

Zandee also mentioned that you never know what teams are going to show up in provincials – some of whom they will never have heard of before.

“But I think the team that is there for us, they’ll have a very good showing,” he said. “I think we have an outside shot of winning the provincial title, but it depends on how they do and who they get stacked up against.”