While the PGA golfers were blown off the golf course on Maui, the Mariners badminton team battled the Hawaiian winter weather to turn in convincing results in the Honolulu Open on Jan. 4–6. Hosted by the Honolulu Badminton Club, this year’s tournament featured players from Japan, Hawaii, California, Ontario, and Alberta, including CCAA rivals NAIT and Concordia.
Fourth-year player Pat Thompson had a very strong weekend finishing second in Men’s Singles A to a very quick and deceptive Chinese player who had recently moved to Edmonton. Thompson also took the Men’s Doubles A consolation with assistant coach Mike Clark in a very powerful event with players from Canada, Japan, U.S., and China. To complete the triad, Thompson teamed with first-year VIU athlete Melissa Liew to win the Mixed Doubles A consolation.
VIU dominated the Women’s Singles A event where Liew played with strong attacks to take the gold in the A final against a very fit and consistent opponent from Japan. Teammate Eunice Chan came third after narrowly losing her semi-final battle against the same player.
Chan and Thomas Spencer, who is making amazing progress in his first year of badminton, came third in the Mixed Doubles B event. John Foster and Nicole Greene were second in consolation, while Corentin Denis partnered with Lucy Bonar for third.
Another VIU athlete making strong progress this season is Jordan Bartulabac, who teamed with VIU alumnus Jenny Aronson in Women’s Doubles for second in B consolation and with coach Clark for third in the very strong Mixed A consolation.
When not on the badminton court Mariner athletes took on the sand, surf, and of course the Diamond Head climb, well prepared by their regular assault on the VIU stairs.