Western Washington University intramurals hosted a non-traditional Valentine’s Day celebration – a badminton tournament at the Wade King Student Recreation Center on Wednesday, Feb. 14.
Court A in the rec center was decorated with hearts, ribbons and colorful streamers as 16 badminton teams hoped to claim the Valentine’s Day victory.
Teams of two faced off against each other in a self-officiated, single elimination tournament. To advance to the next round, each team needed to win two sets to 25 points. A third set would be played to 15 points in the result of a tie.
Referee and intramural marketing assistant Alex Hurley was in charge of the tournament, making sure everyone was provided with equipment and candy.
“The best part about doing intramurals is having fun with people,” Hurley said. "Everyone deserves some fun and joy during the day, and intramurals are a good way to meet people and have fun.”
In the first round, the self-proclaimed underdogs, the “Love Birdies” took on the “Splash Zone.” While the Love Birdies took an early exit, teammate Isaac Becker was still optimistic about the defeat.
“It was a lot of fun,” Becker said. “I don’t think I’ve ever won a badminton game but it felt good. I was excited to just get out with some friends and mess around with something you’re not good at.”
Even after losses, teams enjoyed being out and having a good time.
“Intramural sports is supposed to be a place where you can get together and compete in a fun and safe environment,” Capels said. “We have been working really hard to make sure that all skill levels are able to compete without getting too frustrated.”
After four hours of competitive badminton, only one team could claim the championship. The final two teams were both couples, hoping to show their love for badminton and each other by winning the tournament together.
The final game went to 3 full sets with team “PJ,” Patrick Brannan and Jocelyn Lee, facing off against the “Badmisters,” consisting of Baylor Howard and Ella Wall.
The first set was claimed by team PJ with a final score of 12-25. However, Badmisters put up a close match in the second set. Getting off to a quick start with a score of 15-10, Badmisters controlled the second set. The set ended with a close score of 25-23 and a Badmisters win.
The third and final set was another close match, with team PJ narrowly taking the victory with a final score of 15-17.
“It was really fun,” Lee said. “I like badminton and [Brannan] likes any sport, and I thought it would be a fun thing to do on Valentine’s [Day].”
The next intramural tournament will be a three versus three basketball tournament on Thursday, Feb. 29. Western students can sign up through IMLeagues.com; results are also posted there, or can be found on their Instagram.
Diego Corona is a sports reporter for The Front this quarter. This is his first quarter at Western and he’s excited to get know the campus. He is a PR major. In Diego’s free time, he likes to watch soccer, play video games, and cook. You can reach him at diegocorona.thefront@gmail.com.
