It was another busy weekend for local elementary badminton organizers. All courts at St. Charles College were kept busy, April 29 and April 30, for the latest tournament in the pre high-school grouping.
While he may have been the only representative of Chelmsford Valley District Composite School (CVDCS), 13-year-old Ethan Rogers did his best to put his school on the map.
The youngster not only claimed top spot in the boys singles event, but also teamed with Easton Laframboise of St. James for the boys doubles crown, a success that he credits in part on years of training for the "AAA" hockey ranks.
"Dryland in hockey helps keep my cardio up," said Rogers. "In tournaments like this, you're playing nine or 10 games to make it to the final, and it gets to be a lot."
A gold-medal performance in both divisions speaks to Rogers' versatility, even if he sees himself as eventually becoming more specialized.
"I really like singles, because I'm small and I move fast, so I can usually get to those birdies," Rogers said. "In doubles, you're relying on your partner, which is good because you're not doing all the work — but I prefer singles."
With Lo-Ellen Park looking like his secondary school of choice, Rogers will join an already strong young core of talent with the Knights, even as he looks to make strides in the development of his game.
"I seem to miss some of my drop shots, because it hits the side of my racquet," he said. "So I'm trying to get top hitting it in the middle constantly, because I'm losing points for no reason."
Following is a complete listing of the top four finishers in all five divisions:
Boys Singles
1st - Ethan Rogers (CVDCS)
2nd - Easton Laframboise (St James)
3rd - Tyler Sampson (St Charles)
4th - Viktor Bulik (St Pierre)
Girls Singles
1st - Cierra St Germain (St Pierre)
2nd - Amelina Iturregui (St James)
3rd - Erika Poirier (St James)
4th - Jordin Rancourt (Marymount)
Boys Doubles
1st - Easton Laframboise/Ethan Rogers
2nd - Viktor Bulik/Jacob Paradis (St Pierre)
3rd - Tyler Sampson/Ethan Williamson (St Charles)
4th - Cole Lalande/Conner Goudreau (St Charles)
Girls Doubles
1st - Amelina Iturregui/Erika Poirier (St James)
2nd - Jordin Rancourt/Chloe Madore-Bouffard (Marymount)
3rd - Cierra St Germain/Emilie Ayotte (St Pierre)
4th - Keysha Marois/Eryn Long (St Thomas)
Mixed Doubles
1st - Amelina Iturregui/Easton Laframboise (St James)
2nd - Cierra St Germain/Viktor Bulik (St Pierre)
3rd - Ethan Rogers/Kennedi Brosseau (St Charles)
4th - Jacob Pellerin/Vanessa McKinnon (St Augustin)
