SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Eight students from two Deh Cho schools emerged with medals from the NWT Badminton Championships.

Lory Ann Bertrand of Nahanni Butte plays in the NWT Badminton Championships at Sir John Franklin School in Yellowknife on March 5. - Katherine Hudson/NNSL photo

The championships took place in Yellowknife from March 4 to 6. Students from Nahanni Butte, Fort Providence and Fort Simpson represented the Deh Cho.

Brandon Constant of Fort Providence was one of the medal winners. Constant took second place in the pre-juvenile boys singles and teammate Axell Bouvier took third in the doubles.

This was Constant's first year playing the sport and competing.

"It was pretty hard," he said about the competition.

Constant, 13, said he stayed focused during his matches. Smashing is his favourite badminton shot. Constant said he felt good about his two medals.

Fort Providence's other medal winners were Nolan Bonnetrouge and Joseph Antoine who finished second in the male juvenile doubles. Deh Gah School sent a total of 10 players to the championships including five who had never participated before.

"They did pretty well," said Jeremy Kielstra, the team's coach.

The players, however, were hampered by a week of late nights, a result of the Mackenzie Regional Youth Conference, and having gone a few weeks without practice, Kielstra said.

The championship was a completely new experience for the team from Charles Yohin School. Having just begun to play badminton seriously three months ago this was the team's first time at the event.

"They did quite well," said Wayne Ingarfield, Nahanni Butte's coach.

Of the eight players from the community half of the students won medals. Destiny Ekotla took silver in the pre-juvenile girls' singles and Nathan Betsaka took silver in the mixed doubles.

Lory Ann Bertrand and assistant coach Bhreagh Ingarfield took bronze in the ladies open doubles. Bertrand and Melvin Vital won bronze in the junior mixed doubles.

Thomas Simpson School of Fort Simpson also sent three students to the event.

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