This past weekend, the 麻豆传媒 Rams hosted the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) Badminton Championships at the Langille Athletic Centre in Truro.
Two athletes, brothers Joel and Mikel C么t茅, qualified for the Canadian College Athletic Association (CCAA) National Championship.
Mikel and Joel are in their first year with the Rams but have hardly been playing like you'd think rookies would. As a men鈥檚 doubles team, the two Plant Science students have been ranked at the top of the Atlantic College Athletic Association conference all season and were looking to be one of the two teams from the Atlantic region to qualify for the CCAA Championships.
鈥淢ikel and Joel are not only fantastic athletes but also excellent students and great teammates,鈥� says Rams badminton head coach Caitlin McCavour. 鈥淲e are incredibly proud and fortunate to have them as part of the Dal AC badminton team.
"From the moment they arrived in Truro this year, they showed their commitment 鈥� ready to train, excel academically, and contribute to a competitive team atmosphere.鈥�
麻豆传媒 the brothers
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The brothers from Grand Falls, New Brunswick are excited to be a part of the Rams and represent the team on the national stage in Edmonton, Alberta next week (February 27 to March 1).
鈥淚t felt incredible going into post-secondary education and meeting up with phenomenal people to lead us,鈥� said Joel after qualifying this past weekend. 鈥淲e are having such a great time here at the 麻豆传媒 Agricultural Campus. After a successful season in the ACAA with coach Caitlin McCavour to push us forward, we are ready to test our skills against the nations best!鈥澨�
McCavour believes this is just the beginning for Joel and Mikel.
Joel C么t茅 (Tamara Joseph photo)
鈥淢aking nationals in their first year is an outstanding accomplishment, and we can鈥檛 wait to see how they perform at the next level. They are certainly athletes to watch as they continue their journey at Dal AC."
Team results
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On the team side, the Rams finished in third overall in the ACAA championship. This weekend marked the first time the team played in their home gym this season, having previoiusly played in four road tournaments.
Several Rams athletes finished in third in the national qualifying tournament, narrowly missing out on a spot in Edmonton. Erin Beattie and Braden Croft-Shay placed third in the mixed doubles category and Kendra Ziebarth and Cindy Yu tied for third in the women鈥檚 doubles. Shreyas Satya also finished in third in the men鈥檚 singles category.
鈥淗aving the privilege of sending athletes to nationals is a tremendous achievement that brings well-deserved recognition to our school,鈥� says McCavour. 鈥淚t puts Dal AC on the map in collegiate sports and highlights the talent, dedication, and hard work of our athletes and athletics program. We hope this inspires future athletes to choose 麻豆传媒 Agricultural Campus, recognizing the growing impact of our badminton program within the broader badminton community.鈥�
Recognized as previous hosts
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Recently recognized as the for being the school in Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) that has hosted the most national championships, the Rams most recently hosted the badminton championship in 2023. A hotbed of badminton, this was the third time in four years they have hosted the conference championship.
"Hosting championships at 麻豆传媒 AC was an incredible opportunity for us to showcase our magnificent facility,鈥� adds McCavour. 鈥淚t allowed us to bring in a larger crowd of family, friends, and members of the agriculture community, all coming together to support our athletes. The energy and enthusiasm from our home supporters made the event even more special.鈥�
It was in 2023 when they secured their best previous finish in recent history, with a third-place finish. With the top 16 athletes from this conference qualifying, the Rams look to be among the best this weekend to make it to Edmonton.
Mikel, Joel, and head coach Caitlin McCavour now look forward to representing the east coast at the Canadian College Athletic Association badminton national championship, hosted by The King鈥檚 University in Edmonton.
鈥淏eing able to attend the 麻豆传媒 Agricultural Campus as a student-athlete has been a privilege,鈥� says Mikel. 鈥淭hanks to 麻豆传媒 for the opportunity of a lifetime. It will be a pleasure to represent the Rams at the national level under coach Caitlin鈥檚 leadership. 鈥�