TORONTO - The following student-athletes have been recognized by the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) for their accomplishments during the seven-day period ending Sunday, Feb. 18.
Monique Lee
School: George Brown
Program: Computer Systems Technician
Year of Eligibility: 2
Sport: Badminton
Hometown: Hong Kong
With partner Giselle Kochapanya, Lee reached the top of the podium in women's doubles at the OCAA Badminton Championships, posting an impeccable 7-0 record in the competition. The victory marked the George Brown programs first gold in the discipline since 1991. During their run, the Huskies duo only dropped one set. In addition Lee, now a two-time OCAA gold medalist, was named OCAA Player of the Year prior to the competition. Lee and Kochapanya will now take part at nationals beginning later this month.
Zeel Rohit
School: Humber
Program: Business Management
Year of Eligibility: 2
Sport: Badminton
Hometown: India
Rohit and partner Gokulkrishna Santhoshkumar came up big in the playoff rounds for the Humber Hawks at the OCAA Badminton Championships, capturing the OCAA gold medal in the mixed doubles discipline. After dropping a match to the Centennial Colts in the round robin, the Humber duo got their redemption and defeated the Colts in two sets, 21-15, 21-16 in the gold medal match. The gold helped Humber win the overall men's title, as well. Rohit is now a two-time OCAA medalist winning bronze in women's singles last year.
Arpitraj Sinha
School: Fanshawe
Program: Commercial Flight & Aviation Leadership
Year of Eligibility: 3
Sport: Badminton
Hometown: Markham, Ont.
With partner Roshan Jacob, Sinha reached the top of the podium in a competitive men's doubles bracket at the OCAA Badminton Championships. Going 4-1 in the round robin, the Fanshawe Falcons duo avenged an earlier loss to the George Brown Huskies pair in the semi-final before taking the gold medal against a Humber Hawks team that they lost to at West Regionals earlier this month, winning 21-11, 21-19. Sinha now has a complete set of OCAA medals, having previously won a men's doubles silver and men's singles bronze.
Joanna Smith
School: Fanshawe
Program: Fitness & Health Promotion
Year of Eligibility: 1
Sport: Women's Basketball
Hometown: Simcoe, Ont.
The No. 7-seeded Fanshawe Falcons upset the No. 2-seeded Georgian Grizzlies 69-64 on the road on Feb. 17 to advance to the OCAA quarter-finals. Smith recorded a team-high 17 points and four steals off the bench, shooting an impressive 5-of-8 (62.5 per cent) beyond the three-point arc. The first-year guard made crucial plays late in the game to lead the Falcons to their biggest victory of the season. Smith averaged 8.9 points per game during the regular season. Fanshawe will now visit the No. 3 Niagara Knights in Saturday's quarter-final.
Raivone Young
School: Mohawk
Program: Business Fundamentals - Small Business
Year of Eligibility: 3
Sport: Men's Basketball
Hometown: Halifax, N.S.
The No. 3-seeded Mohawk Mountaineers completed a 13-point comeback in their playoff opener, defeating No. 6 Loyalist 98-96 on Feb. 17. Mohawk entered the fourth quarter down nine as Young scored 21 of a team-high 29 points in the second half, a dozen of which came in the final quarter. The third-year guard shot an efficient 7-of-12 (58.3 per cent) from the floor with five made threes, and was 10-of-13 (76.9 per cent) from the free throw line. Young also contributed five rebounds, two steals and a fourth quarter alley-oop dunk that electrified the home crowd.
Colin Zhou
School: Centennial
Program: Software Engineering Technician
Year of Eligibility: 2
Sport: Badminton
Hometown: China
Defending provincial and national men's singles champion Zhou of the Centennial Colts, who had previously lost twice to Timothy Lock of the Humber Hawks in previous matches, performed when it mattered most. Falling behind one game in the gold medal match at the OCAA Badminton Championship, Zhou displayed the heart of a champion, coming back to defeat Lock 15-21, 21-17, 21-13 to successfully defend the provincial title. Zhou now gets an opportunity to defend the national championship at Seneca Polytechnic in King City from Feb. 29 to Mar. 2.
- OCAA -
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For over 50 years, the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association has been a dedicated leader in amateur athletics through the provision of quality varsity and recreational athletic opportunities at the collegiate level.
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Josh Bell-Webster
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Ontario Colleges Athletic Association
Tel: 416-426-7041
E-mail: bell-webster@ocaa.com