Murdaca makes it two in a row

Badminton is all fun and games for Nick Murdaca.

The 16-year-old, Grade 11 student at A.N. Myer made it two Zone 3 senior boys singles championships in a row Thursday at Jean Vanier.

Murdaca defeated Jacob Fontaine from Vanier 21-17, 21-14 to capture the senior boys crown.

“It started off pretty well. I thought my shots were going in and I felt like I was pushing the birdie deep,” he said. “Throughout the first set, I felt I was getting a little tired but I kept pushing.”

Murdaca began the day defeating William Lidster from Vanier, then topped Joe Ye from St. Paul to advance to the final.

He had no idea what type of competition he was going to face.

“I honestly had no clue. Coming in from last year there, were a couple of new players and I have a rivalry with (Ye) and he pushed me in semifinals,” Murdaca said.

Murdaca began playing the sport competitively in Grade 9 where he finished second at both zone and the Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association (SOSSA) playdowns. He placed first in both last season and now heads to SOSSA in Ancaster next week.

“Being consistent and (having) athleticism helps a lot on the court,” Murdaca said. “Just pushing the birdie deep and making the other player make the mistakes.”

Murdaca, whose older brother Joseph is a former Ontario Hockey League goaltender and currently a member of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, also plays basketball, volleyball and tennis player for his school.

“Badminton is definitely not my main sport. I just play for fun. I like it.”

Following are results from all divisions Thursday: