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Saints win medals at Arctic Winter Games
Chris Clegg
for South Peace News
Two students from St. Andrew’s School were among many Northern Albertans to win medals at the Arctic Winter Games March 8-12 in Grande Prairie.
Caitlyn Anderson, 17, won a gold medal as part of the Team Alberta North Badminton Doubles Junior Female Team. Her partner was Saran Antaya of Grande Prairie.
Anderson also won a bronze medal in Badminton Singles Junior Female and placed fourth in Badminton Doubles Junior Mixed. Her partner was Derek Mason of Spirit River.
Hope Sauvageau, 14, won a silver medal in Badminton Doubles Juvenile Female. Her partner was Jeraldine Chong of Fort McMurray.
Sauvageau posted a 2-3 record in Badminton Singles Juvenile Female and a 2-3 record in Badminton Doubles Juvenile Mixed. Her partner was David Smith of Peace River.
Anderson has played badminton for six years as part of the school’s team. She says she likes to play badminton simply to gain experience and have fun. She placed fourth the last two years at the Alberta Schools Athletics Association Provincials in singles play.
However, she and Antaya were not to be denied gold in Grande Prairie. They won eight straight matches and lost only one game in the process. The pair defeated Alaska 21-5, 21-0; Northwest Territories 21-11, 21-12; Nunavit – Quebec 21-15, 21-4; Greenland 21-15, 21-13; the Yukon Territory 14-21, 21-14, 21-12; and Nunavut 12-10, 21-4. They continued their winning ways in the semi-final by defeating the Northwest Territories 21-9, 21-15 before winning gold with a 21-10, 21-18 victory over the Yukon.
Anderson also won bronze in singles after posting a 5-1 record in round-robin play. She defeated Alaska 21-14, 21-5; the Northwest Territories 21-13, 21-4 and Nunavit – Quebec 21-7, 21-8. She lost to Greenland 21-11, 16-21, 21-17 but rebounded to defeat the Yukon 21-14, 12-10 and Nunavut 21-7, 21-2.
Anderson advanced to the semi-final but lost 21-11, 21-16 to the Yukon team but rebounded to win the bronze medal match over Greenland 21-14, 21-16.
In doubles, Anderson and Mason posted a 4-2 record in round-robin play but lost both playoff matches and went home without a medal. They defeated Alaska 21-8, 21-6; the Northwest Territories 21-15, 13-21, 21-18; and Nunavit – Quebec 21-17, 23-21 before losing to Greenland 21-6, 21-14. They reached the medal round after defeating the Yukon 21-10, 21-13 and Nunavut 11-21, 21-13, 21-18.
In the playoffs, a second Yukon team defeated Anderson and Mason 21-10, 21-13. The bronze medal match was also lost to a team from Greenland 22-20, 21-14.
With her silver medal win, Sauvageau continues to add to a long list of accomplishments. She has already won the zones in badminton twice and appears poised to win many more medals in her junior and high school career.
Sauvageau and Chong started poorly in the doubles competition after losing their first three matches to Alaska 21-19, 15-21, 21-19; the Northwest Territories 21-15, 21-23, 21-14; and Greenland 21-9, 21-7. They rebounded to defeat the Yukon 21-18, 21-19 and Nunavut 21-16, 21-14. In the semi-final, they gained a measure of revenge against the Northwest Territories by winning 16-21, 21-17, 21-12 but lost the gold medal match to Greenland 21-7, 21-8.
In singles action, Sauvageau missed the medal round by one win after posting a 2-3 record. She began with a 21-5, 21-9 loss to Alaska; a 21-19, 13-21, 21-17 loss to the Northwest Territories and a 21-6, 21-14 loss to Greenland. Despite being out of contention for a medal, Sauvageau rallied to defeat the Yukon 21-4, 21-3 and Nunavut 21-15, 21-6.
In doubles, the exact opposite occurred. Sauvageau and Smith won their first two matches but lost their final three to finish out of the medals. They defeated Alaska 21-9, 21-13 and the Northwest Territories 21-17, 21-13 but lost to Greenland 21-16, 22-24, 21-11; the Yukon 21-16, 8-21, 21-17 and Nunavut 22-20, 21-16.
Despite being only 14, Sauvageau has played badminton for eight years.
“My personal role model would have to be my Dad,” she says in her bio. “He has inspired me to play badminton all my life. . .he's an amazing player and someday I want to be just like him.”
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Hope Sauvageau, left, and Caitlyn Anderson show the three medals won at the Arctic Winter Games in Grande Prairie March 8-12. Both attend St. Andrew’s School in High Prairie.
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