The University of Toronto Varsity Blues came away with a bronze medal at the 2008 OUA badminton championships on Saturday, November 22 at McMaster University.

The Blues defeated the host McMaster Marauders 9-4 to earn their fourth consecutive third-place finish.

In men’s singles action, team captain Andy Lam (Toronto) played 2007 OUA MVP Sen Hoong Phang (Thornhill, Ont.) in the number one men’s spot. Despite putting forth a much better fight than their season match, Lam fell 21-15, 21-18. Jesse Assing (Bethany, Ont.) easily defeated Sen Han Phang (Thornhill, Ont.) 21-10, 21-18 to take the number two spot, while Graeme MacInnes (Ajax, Ont.) made his singles debut and won 21-19, 14-21, 21-17.

In women’s singles, nine-time OUA all-star Melissa Hill (Oakville, Ont.) played a very strong Jamie Williams (Mississauga, Ont.) and despite an injured ankle, was able to pull off a 23-21, 10-21, 21-19 victory. In the number two spot, Toronto’s captain Shilin Cheung (Hong Kong) had some difficulty with McMaster’s first-year standout Allison Bennett (Oakville, Ont.), winning the first game 21-18 but then losing 21-15, 21-14. Josee Matte (Brantford, Ont.) picked it up for Toronto in the number three spot beating Phoebe Lam (Scarborough, Ont.) 21-6, 21-16 to the Blues ahead 4-2 going into doubles action.

Warren Leung (Windsor, Ont.) and Assing won the number one men’s doubles match 21-14, 21-19. However, the Blues second team faltered, losing the second and third games of their match after taking the first.

The Blues women dominated in their double match-ups, as Shilin Cheung and Caroline Cheung (Toronto) completed a perfect season in OUA doubles competition with a 21-13, 21-5 victory over Susan Loi (Toronto) and Regina Leung (Thornhill, Ont.). The Blues second team of Lin Wang (Beijing, CHN) and Shirley Lin (Sudbury, Ont.) also won their match 21-18, 21-14.

In mixed doubles, Andy Lam and Melissa Hill defeated Sen Hoong Phang and Jamie Williams 24-22, 23-21 in a very tight match. Warren Leung and Caroline Cheung continued the trend, winning their number two match easily 21-12, 21-16, while MacInnes and Matte fell in three sets 21-11, 21-11, 21-10.

In semi-final action, the Blues fell 8-5 to the eventual 2008 OUA silver medalist Waterloo Warriors.

Waterloo won all three men’s singles and two men’s doubles matches quite hastily, while the Blues women attempted to turn the tide as they swept their three singles matches and two doubles matches.

This OUA semifinal would by determined by the result of the mixed doubles. Blues number one team of Andy Lam and Caroline Cheung were no match for Waterloo’s Charles Pyne and Amanda Carruthers and lost 21-13, 21-16, while the number three team of Mike Lawler (Peterborough, Ont.) and Shirley Lin were also swept 21-13, 21-14. At that point the contest was decided and Graham MacInnes (Ajax) and Lin Wang were substituted into the final mixed doubles match and lost 21-15, 21-10.