Badminton Report 11.10.09
Welsh Badminton Union N Wales Top Schools Competition
9 Boys and 5 Girls teams competed at the Plas Coch Sports Centre, Wrexham.
Though the standard varied there were many closely contested and exciting matches demonstrating high skill and fitness levels. Some of the players have represented Wales and County teams but everyone tried their hardest to get their team into the play-offs.
The three top teams (Boys – Brynhyfryd A, Castell Alun and Maes Garmon; Girls – Castell Alun, Brynhyfryd and Mold Alun) go to the National finals at Welshpool on 24 th February, 2010.
Castell Alun
Brynhyfryd
N W Wales Junior Shuttle Series at Deganwy
The U11's entry was small but there was plenty of future talent on show.
In the Girls singles final Bethany Newis (Cheshire) beat Cerys Brackenbury (Buckley) 15-11, 15-8. In the doubles final Newis partnered Elisha Kenworthy (Castell Alun) to beat Amy Jukes (Castell Alun) and Brackenbury 21-15, 21-15.
In the Boys singles final Andrew Oates (Deeside) fought hard but could not quite match Cheshire's Jack Wild's consistency and lost 6-15, 8-15. Oates and Drew Jones (Deeside) had a much closer tussle in the doubles final before losing 17-21, 17-21 to Wild and James Morris (Monmouth).
The U13s had a much better entry. 12 played in the Girls singles which was won by Emilie Gwilt (Welshpool). Deeside's Beth McLellan lost 11-15, 8-15 in her semi to the losing finalist – Cheshire's Maddie Pollon. In the doubles McLellan teamed up with Gwilt and won the final 21-17, 21-8 against Cheshire's Jenn Moss and Annie Schumacker.
In one of the Boys singles quarters A Oates narrowly beat Callum Sant (Buckley) 15-9, 10-15, 15-8 but lost his semi 5-15, 10-15 to Wild. Deeside's Martyn Smith-Aldous failed to win his quarter against Cheshire's Ewan Cook by the narrowest of margins 15-11, 9-15, 14-16. Scott Oates beat Cook easily 15-8, 15-9 in his semi but could not defeat Wild, losing 14-21, 14-21 in the final. Wild and Cook then won the doubles 15-11, 15-11 beating S Oates and Smith-Aldous in the final.
In the Mixed doubles semis A Oates and Gwilt beat Drew Jones (Deeside) and Tonicha Font (Mold) 15-9, 15-6 and S Oates and McLellan beat Wild and Cheshire's Jess Forber 13-15, 15-11, 15-11. A Oates and Gwilt the won a pulsating final 22-20, 21-13.
In the U15s Girls singles quarters Isabelle Cain (CQ) won her local battle with Ellen Liddle (Castell Alun) 15-9, 15-11 but lost her semi to the winner Kirsty Muddell (Shropshire) 11-15, 5-15. Jess Faulkner (CQ) lost her semi 7-15, 11-15 to Cheshire's Lucy Thornton. The doubles final was a magnificent, fluctuating match; Liddle and Cain just lost 10-15, 15-13, 13-15 to Muddell and Vicky Rawlings (Shropshire).
In the Boys singles Elliot Wheeler (Flint) beat Mold's Lloyd Martin 15-11, 15-9 before going out to champion Stuart Holden (Manchester). Matthew Vacher (Denbigh) had a great tournament beating Daniel Ellis (CQ) 15-12, 15-8 in the quarters, then Andrew Phillips (Cheshire) 15-12, 15-11 in the semis and put up a terrific fight before losing 10-21, 17-21 to Holden in the final. In the Boys doubles semis Holden and Stefan Haley (Shropshire) beat Prestatyn's Hugo Williams and Mold's Paul Hardman15-7, 15-4; Ellis and Wheeler played well to beat Phillips and Ian Hawthornthwaite (Cheshire) 16-14, 15-8 but lost 10-21, 13-21 to Holden and Haley in the final.
In the Mixed final Vacher partnered Muddell and put up firm resistance against Holden and Brooke Harris (Shropshire) before losing 6-15, 14-15.
In the U17s Girls singles final Danielle Oates (CQ) had a convincing victory over Claire Symeondes of Cheshire 15-8, 15-8 and then partnered Lauren Miles (Conwy) to win the doubles final against Symeondes and Eleanor Liddle-Crew (Cheshire) 21-15, 21-17.
Vacher and Oates then combined brilliantly to win the final of the Mixed doubles by 15-14, 15-10 against Ben Woodward (Cheshire) and Symeondes.
Overall the local players turned in some very pleasing performances considering the strength of the opposition coming from Lancashire, Manchester and Cheshire. It was great to see Danielle Oates win a hat trick of titles.