By Adam Frisk Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Hal High Red Hawks made quite the racket on the badminton court late last month by capturing gold at the Central Ontario Secondary Schools Association (COSSA) finals.
Senior players Lara Gallant and Lilly Casey, alongside juniors Lincoln Brown and Annika Gervais, secured the golds during the April 22-23 competition.
For Gallant and Casey, the senior gold caps off a storied high school career and a four-year partnership marked by redemption after finishing third at COSSA last year. The pair overcame mid-match injuries in the finals to win their deciding set, earning a spot at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) tournament.
For coach Jason Morissette, it was the dedication to daily practice and a shift in maturity that fuelled the senior girls’ championship run.
“They actually built some humility because they had some losses,” the coach said, reflecting on the past four years coaching the girls. “They’re much more level-headed about it all… They’ve gotten better as athletes, and people too.”
Casey said it was their competitive drive that separated the pair from the rest of the teams at the finals.
“It’s just something that we worked for four years… and finally we could achieve it,” she said.
The juniors battled fatigue to capture gold after having all their matches go to three sets, including the final.
“It was definitely exciting, but I think it was also exhausting,” Gervais said.
Brown credited coach Joseph Dowling with providing real-time strategic adjustments and mental support to push through the tournament.
The seniors competed hard at OFSA, held in Markham April 30 to May 2, but dropped all three games they played.
As for what’s next with the Red Hawks? It’s time for the senior girls to pass down the torch, coach Morissette said. But their success formed a blueprint for the athletes on the team, especially for the Grade 9 newcomers.
“If you work hard and you stay with the process… you can possibly achieve an [OFSAA] qualification because it’s really hard to do,” Morissette said. “They can give all their knowledge and sort of just be positive. It’s kind of like you learn and pass it down.”
