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Chippewa badminton duo strikes gold at OFSAA

Doubles team claims Division B OFSAA gold in Port Hope
2023-05-15-ofsaa-badminton-gold
Eigen Conejos and Ryan O'Donnell show off their OFSAA golds in double's badminton. Photo submitted.

A pair of grade 12 Chippewa student athletes capped off an impressive high school badminton career by winning the gold medal at the OFSAA championships in Port Hope, Ontario this past weekend.

The doubles pair of Ryan O'Donnell and Eigen Conejos ran into great competition early in the championships, losing their second match of the tournament to the eventual “A” division antique bronze medalists, thereby relegating them to the “B” division. 

Despite the early disappointment, O’Donnell and Conejos rallied to win three straight matches earning a berth in the championship final.  

The gold medal match featured phenomenal play from both Conejos and O’Donnell and their opponents from Ottawa. 

After a tough second set in the final, the Chippewa duo reversed their fortune through precise and overpowering shots, winning the third set in convincing fashion. 

With the victory, Conejos and O’Donnell added to their personal trophy case, one that already contains an OFSAA bronze medal from the 2022 championships. 

The duo's two-year run at the OFSAA championships includes an overall record of 10 wins and 2 losses, which is an incredible accomplishment.  

Coach Paula Marie Milne, who has been part of their journey over the past four years. 

“Not only am I incredibly proud of Ryan and Eigen and their results, but I am also prouder of the how they went about their business on the court," she said in a release.

"They were excellent representatives of Chippewa and the North Bay community.” 

The soon-to-be Chippewa graduates look to the future and are set to focus on their post-secondary schooling. O’Donnell is headed to Guelph University next year to study Medical Sciences, and Conejos is excited to join Nipissing University’s Business Administration Program.