Thanks to poplar demand, the leadership class held a badminton intramural tournament. Students signed up in teams of two and faced each other in lively competition during lunch during the weeks of Nov. 28- Dec. 9.

When the dust settled, and the shuttlecocks came to a rest on the hardwood floor, only one team was left standing. The sophomore team of Justin Bridges and Coleton Hutchins won the final against seniors Chad Wathen and Corey Maxey.

After 15 minutes of intense play, the tournament ended with a final score of 21-18. Afterwards, the winners were presented with golden racquets, a gift from the student leadership class.

The sport of badminton usually takes a back seat to the more popular racquet sports, like tennis, and ping-pong. However, that does not make this underground sport sensation any less fun. Most kids claim to have a basic knowledge of the game, and even more declare to be decent players.

?Everyone loves badminton.? Matthew Brouwer, ?06, said. ?It?s what the student body wanted. Plus, it worked well in the gym.?

The fact that 60 students participated in the event demonstrated the campus? sports popularity. There are 285 students in the high school. All wanted a chance to prove they had what it would take to go the distance.

Most students chose their friends as partners, while others tried to find someone that complimented their own skill level.

?I enjoy badminton; it is my favorite sport.? Mitchell Callisch, ?09, said. ?My partner was Ben Watson; I chose him because he is my friend and is skilled at the game.?

Not everyone enjoyed the experience. Playing in the tournament brought joy as well as misery to even the best of players.

?It was hard, and we were terrible,? Christina Cabias, ?07, said. ?I played with my brother, Vincent, and we went 0-3. But we had fun. During one game, they told us we had only a minute left, and Vincent started hitting the bird everywhere. Even into the roof.?

No matter the partner or the opponent, the tournament is meant to promote friendly competition. The tournament also gives students a chance to be involved in school and extracurricular activities.