The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, April 30, 2015 | 38 HALTON TRANSMISSION 559 SPEERS RD., #UNIT 3 905-842-0725 www.haltontransmission.com Jon Kuiperij Sports Editor sports@oakvillebeaver.com Sports By Herb Garbutt Burlington Post staff "Connected to your Community" Trinity's Yap goes from sidelines to GHAC champ A day before the badminton season began, Holy Trinity's Kevin Yap figured he had zero chance of going to the provincial high school championships. It had little to do with his skill or his belief in his abilities. Yap just missed out on an Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations berth last year after finishing fourth at the Golden Horseshoe Athletic Conference championships. It had more to do with the fact that as the season was about to begin, Yap didn't think he was even eligible to play. The eligibility form had asked for the player's age as of January 2015, so the returning Grade 12 student thought he was too old. But it should have said as of January 2014. The error was discovered and the day before the season's first tournament, Yap was told he could play. He made the most of the opportunity, winning Tuesday's boys' singles title at the GHAC badminton championships in Burlington. But in keeping with his season, it was anything but routine. Yap finished third at the previous week's Halton championships, but knocked off the top two finishers to win the GHAC title. He was pushed to the brink in the semis against the Halton champion before winning 19-21, 21-15, 23-21. He once again fell behind in the final, losing the opener 21-8 to Iroquois Ridge's Patrick Wang, the Halton runner-up. "At the break, I just tried to get him to focus on the things he does well," said Holy Trinity coach Dan Byckalo. "He had to keep the birdie out of the middle of the court and go for the lines." Wang will also advance to OFSAA af"Win or lose, I just wanted to play my ter defeating Frank Hayden's Fozan Khabest," Yap said. waja in three games to secure the second Yap evened the match with a 21-19 vic- singles' spot. tory and then had to battle for a 23-21 win Also advancing is White Oaks' mixed in the deciding game to claim the title. doubles team of Jasmine Yu and Justin Park. "That's a clutch player," Byckalo said. The Halton champs fell to Craig Kielburger's As impressed as Byckalo was with Yap's Jin Yue Lui and Shoree Ding in the GHAC play, the student's reaction to almost being championship match but came back to desidelined for the season also left a lasting feat a team from Robert Bateman to secure impression. When Yap thought he was in- second and their spot at OFSAA. eligible, rather than packing it in, he asked Yu was coming off a strong perforabout assisting the Trinity coaching staff. mance that saw her win three medals in "At first, I was a the under-16 division bit disappointed I at the Ontario junior wouldn't be able to B championships in play," said Yap, who Markham. Yu took began playing at the gold in the mixed and age of eight in his naladies' doubles events tive Kuwait. "But I while taking the silwas happy to be able ver in ladies' singles. Yu and partner to help my team and Luna Yang survived show them a few of the three-set matches in techniques I've learned the quarter-finals and and help them with semifinals before premy experience. Badvailing 21-13, 21-16 minton is my sport. It's in the ladies' doubles my passion." Holy Trinity's Kevin Yap final. Yu then teamed And he had a lot with Victor Gao to to offer his would-be win eight of 10 sets in mixed doubles, teammates. "His defence and his smash are out- clinching gold with a 21-10, 21-11 vicstanding," Byckalo said. "And he's very tory in the championship match. In singles play, Yu won six of seven sets willing to work hard." Yap is looking forward to the OF- to reach the final before falling 21-19, SAA tournament, which begins today in 21-9 to Julie Midroni. Oakville Trafalgar's Sommer Chou seMarkham. "I'm still shocked I won GHAC," he cured her spot at OFSAA with a secondsaid. "Every time the next level gets place finish in the girls' singles division. tougher so I'm expecting a lot of tougher Chou was also second at the earlier Halton championships. opponents at OFSAA." At first, I was a bit disappointed I wouldn't be able to play, but I was happy to be able to help my team. Iroquiois Ridge's Patrick Wang, competing at the GHAC championships in Burlington, was one of five Oakville badminton players to advance to the OFSAA tournament, which begins today in Markham. | photo by Eric Riehl -- Oakville Beaver More sports on insidehalton.com ··· James Hinchcliffe 7th in Alabama ··· Tori Gorrell & Sarah Williams win provincial volleyball title ··· Greg Westlake leads Canada to two wins at Sledge Hockey Worlds ··· Iryna Kostrinko leads Boston U to conference tennis title