Just off podium at
JR WOSSAA
Dorchester's Palajsa in boys' singles and West
Elgin's boys doubles team of
Mosher and Timmermans, both place fourth at the
badminton championships
May
4, 2022
By Rob J. Ross
LONDON, Ont. -
Back in February, Luka
Palajsa had never held a badminton racket and the
only birds he knew were the ones chirping from the
trees.
Three months later,
Palajsa was one step away from a medal, at the
WOSSAA junior badminton championships, at Saunders
Secondary School.
The Lord Dorchester
student finished fourth in boys' singles. His two
losses were to the silver and bronze medal winners.
"Today was a little
less consistent than the TVRA final, but overall not
much that I could have improved. It was as good as
it could have got," said Palajsa.
The Thames Valley
Region Athletics (TVRA) South-East champion does
want to work on playing more relaxed.
"Definitely being less
tense," Palajsa said. "Being too tense when you're
about to hit it (bird), you swing and miss many of
them. I have to stay loose."
Palajsa, also a keeper
with London Alliance FC Mustangs' U15 boys team,
plans on sticking with the sport.
"It was a good
season," Palajsa said. "I'll keep playing badminton.
I'm looking forward to next year."
Palajsa now turns his
attention to high school tennis, a brief season,
with the TVRA South-East championships, May 11, at
Pinafore Park.
The top two in each of
the five events, boys and girls' singles, boys and
girls' doubles and mixed doubles, advance to WOSSAA,
May 19, at Stratford.
Wildcat boys fourth
West Elgin Wildcats boys doubles' team of Josh
Mosher and Jordan Timmermans, also placed fourth,
dropping a three set match to Saunders.
"It was a good
experience and we played a lot tougher teams than we
had in the past," Timmermans said. "We're not
medalists but it was close. We did well. A good
season."
Mosher and Timmermans,
both Grade 10 students, came into WOSSAA as the
South-East Division winners.
"A lot better than I
expected it to go," said Mosher, adding WOSSAA
offered the toughest competition of the season. "It
was an eye opener for us at this tournament."
Central Elgin Titans
Rebecca Nurton finished in the top eight in girls'
singles.
Both the Central Elgin
Titans girls' doubles team of Melissa Francis and
Reina Walters and East Elgin Eagles girls' doubles
team of Annelise and Adrianna Borm, were 1-2.
Parkside Stampeders
Bryce Hampton, in boys' singles and the boys'
doubles team of Darren Hagerty and Ryan Willmore,
both finished at 1-2.
Listowel won the team
title, thanks to having the silver medalists in
boys' singles and girls' doubles, bronze medalist in
mixed doubles and a fifth place in girls' singles.
London Saunders placed
second as a team, followed by London Oakridge,
Stratford Central and Mitchell, rounding out the top
five.
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