Two patient Edison Eagles ended their high school career standing on the podium and winning yet another team championship banner. Emiko Antal and Sam Kamal teamed up to win the bronze medal in senior mixed doubles at the Alberta Schools; Athletic Association badminton championships May 5 in Grimshaw. “This meant everything – I was so happy to get the bronze,” Antal said. “We worked so hard — every game we put everything into it and we have never played better.” The pair was on the outside looking in the previous two years with fourth-place finishes. “To be fourth, it’s so close but you haven’t quite made it,” she said. Antal and Kamal earned one of the five medals won by the Edison Eagles as they easily won the school’s eighth-straight 1A banner [for less than 100 students]. “We were nervous going into the bronze medal game, but also excited because we were playing really well… this is our last tournament together ever,” Kamal said. James Lindsay and Adrianna Stog also got in the medal mix, teaming up to win the intermediate mixed doubles. They finished second last year. “It was so much better, especially because this is going to be our last year together,” said Lindsay who is in Grade 11. Stog is a Grade 12 student, but can play at intermediate because of her age. She definitely yearned Grimshaw Gold. “I really wanted to go for the gold,” Stog said. “We played a really hard team in semis and we beat them pretty easily.” They came up against Brandon Hauck and Cassidy Friesen from Brooks in the final. “We were confident and played pretty well — it was good that we ended well,” Lindsay said. Stog said being friends helps. “We communicate really well and never get mad at each other,” Stog said. “Jamie either drops or smashes it and that gets me ready for a net kill or a net shot. “Then the other team probably lifts it and Jamie pops it back down.” Lindsay will play senior boys doubles next year as a result of his partner graduating. There’s a chance the Eagles will keep on flying high. Three of their medals came from Grade 10 students – Connor Johanson won the gold medal in junior boys singles while Alyssa Oliphant took home the bronze in junior girls singles. As well, Taylor Burton and Chloe Crump won gold in junior girls doubles. Johnson made the eight-hour trek to the Peace Country with an open mind. “I didn’t know what to expect but I am pretty happy I got gold,” Johanson said. “It was a lot tougher than zones.” Johanson downed Cameron Frenette, from Red Deer’s Hunting Hills High, 21-15, 21-16, in the final. “I was nervous but I was quite warm because I had played a lot of games earlier,” said Johanson, who had previously admitted he had a history of not warming up properly. He not only used his talent, but also his ears. Listening intently to Edison School principal and coach Billy Gilliland — who played in the Commonwealth Games in the past. “Billy told me to play my game and some pointers on how to beat him,” Johanson said. “I knew he (Frenette) was good at the net, so I had to slow the game down a bit, play to the corner and not give him his net shots.” Johanson is thrilled to be part of the Edison legacy. “I am pretty proud — I hope it continues, obviously,” he said while pointing to a plethora of banners. Although this is Crump and Burton’s first foray into high school badminton, they are a veteran team. They won zone and divisionals since Grade 7 (there is no provincial championships in junior high). “Billy put us together and we did really well every year,” Burton understated. “We figured we would do well in divisions this year, praying wwwe would do well at zones and we didn’t know what to expect at provincials.” They were pleasantly surprised. “We really didn’t expect to do that well,” Crump said with a laugh. The duo defeated Jenny Hua and Cathy Le from Forest Lawn High School 21-14, 21-15. They have the game down to a science. “Chloe is really strong at the net and I have a strong smash,” Burton said. “It works really well when she takes the net and sets me up so I can smash it — that’s how we get most of our points.” Winning is an acquired taste. “Hopefully we can win again next year,” Crump said. Oliphant met her goal to get on the podium. “There were some players that were up there who were really good,” Oliphant said. “I was pretty happy when I won, and relieved that it was over, I was tired at the end.” She had to battle back after losing the first game 21-11. She outlasted Calgary’s Roya Mehri to win the next two games and the bronze medal. The biggest thrill was being part of another gold medal team for Edison. “It’s exciting to continue our winning streak,” Oliphant said. The Edison Eagles who qualified for provincials were Ty Stride, Adrian Liu, Aden Kepford, Daemon Watson, Shun Kasakura, Sam Kamal, Emiko Antal, Alister Salmon, Jamie Lindsay, Adrianna Stog, Connor Johanson, Alyssa Oliphant, Chloe Crump, Taylor Burton.
