CHIU, WONG, WESLEY EARN TOP OCAA BADMINTON AWARDS

TORONTO - The top badminton players and coach in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) were honoured Saturday morning as part of the 2013 OCAA Badminton Championships being hosted by Centennial College.

Tim Chiu of Humber is the OCAA men's badminton player of the year, the second time he has received this award. He went undefeated at OCAA regionals, winning six matches without dropping a set. In 2011 with George Brown, Chiu was also named the top OCAA player as well as national player of the year honours. Chiu won back-to-back OCAA men's singles titles in 2010 and 2011, and earned silver and bronze medals at nationals. Chiu is also an OCAA all-star, a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) all-Canadian, and a nominee for the national men's player of the year.

For the third consecutive year, Tracy Wong (Richmond Hill) of Humber is the OCAA women's badminton player of the year. The two-time OCAA women's singles champion has partnered with fellow OCAA all-star Renee Yip (Markham) for this year's championship. At OCAA regionals, the duo swept the competition in dominating fashion, winning six matches without losing a set. Wong has won both silver and bronze medals at nationals. Wong has never lost a match in any discipline at any OCAA-sanctioned event. She also represented Canada at the 2012 World University Games in Korea, finishing 3-3. Wong is also an all-Canadian and a nominee for the CCAA women's player of the year.

David Wesley of Georgian is the OCAA coach of the year. Wesley guided his Grizzlies to both men's and women's OCAA regional titles, with seven of his student-athletes earning a berth to the OCAA championships. These seven Grizzlies has also automatically qualified for this year's CCAA Badminton National Championship, which Georgian hosts later this month. Wesley is a nominee for CCAA coach of the year.

Along with Chiu, Wong and Yip, other OCAA all-stars include Boreal's Patrick Michel and Valérie Breen; Trevor Neville of Georgian; Humber's Ryan Chow (Mississauga); Johnny Tran (Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam) and Karen Williams (Windsor) of St. Clair; and Seneca's Carol Dela Cerna.

2013 OCAA BADMINTON AWARDS

OCAA Men's Badminton Player of the Year/CCAA All-Canadian
Tim Chiu, Humber

OCAA Women's Badminton Player of the Year/CCAA All-Canadian
Tracy Wong, Humber

OCAA Badminton Coach of the Year/CCAA Badminton Coach of the Year Nominee
David Wesley, Georgian

OCAA All-Stars
Valérie Breen, Boréal
Patrick Michel, Boréal
Trevor Neville, Georgian
Tim Chiu, Humber
Ryan Chow, Humber
Tracy Wong, Humber
Renee Yip, Humber
Johnny Tran, St. Clair
Karen Williams, St. Clair
Carol Dela Cerna, Seneca

- OCAA -

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The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) is a recognized leader in intercollegiate athletics in the province, dedicated to student athlete and sport development. The OCAA has 30 members sponsoring 16 league and tournament championships.

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