The Kwantlen Eagles prevailed at the Canadian College Athletic Association (CCAA) National Badminton Championships last Saturday in Sackville, New Brunswick as Jensen Ly and Ashley Jang played the ultimate game to capture the gold medal in the mixed doubles competition.
After a tough loss to the Ontario team early in the tournament (18-21, 21-16, 16-21), the Eagles duo won the next five straight matches to advance to the gold medal game against the number-one ranked ACAC team from NAIT. Ly and Jang won the match in straight sets, 21-17, 21-12.
“It feels good,” said Ly. “I had a disappointing year last year at Nationals in mixed doubles (finishing off the podium). Coming in to the final we reminded ourselves that we could play on par with them and we ended up coming out on top.”
“I am extremely proud of Jensen and Ashley for their perseverance and demonstration of teamwork”, said Elise Le Brun, director of athletics and recreation at Kwantlen. “They have great chemistry on the court, and their success at nationals is a celebration of their hard work and the support provided by their Kwantlen coaches and teammates. It’s a fantastic finish to their season, and winning our first CCAA national banner is a tremendous accomplishment for our University.”