Entering this weekend as the defending champions, the University of Toronto Varsity Blues badminton team heads to York University to challenge the best in the province at the 2017 OUA championship, Feb. 17-19.
 
In just his first season as head coach, Stéphane Cadieux guided the Varsity Blues badminton team to their fourth title since 1997, and second over the last four seasons. Cadieux also earned OUA coach of the year honours in the incredible 2016 effort.
 
The second-year bench boss will be looking toward returning veterans Andrew Wilkinson and Jackie Yeung to lead the men's side of the draw once again. Wilkinson has previously been recognized as the OUA rookie of the year and has competed internationally for Canada at the 2013 Summer Universiade. Meanwhile, Yeung is a 2016 OUA all-star and has been extremely active this season, earning silver and gold in men's doubles at a pair of IUCC events.
 
Joining the duo as a key contributor will be first-year life science major Jonathan Lai who has impressed in his first season as a Varsity Blue. Lai earned gold alongside mixed doubles partner and fellow first-year Blue Kristy Chan at this season's first IUCC event, before scoring gold in the same event with a different partner at the second IUCC stop. Lai also garnered bronze in the men's doubles event at the Ontario Elite Series.
 
The aforementioned Kristy Chan along with first-year doubles partner Giselle Chan will lead a youth movement for the Blues on the women's side. Together the pair earned silver in women's doubles just two weeks ago at the final IUCC event and will look to make a splash at their first OUA championship this weekend.
 
Veteran Bethany So will serve as the true leader of the U of T women, having scored several impressive victories as part of last season's championship team. So has been named an OUA all-star three times during her Varsity Blues career, while also having earned OUA female rookie of the year honours. Like Wilkinson, So was also a member of Team Canada at the 2013 Summer Universiade.

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