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There was a brilliant turn-out of FastStep players at the 2016 Sussex Rising Stars at the Triangle, Burgess Hill and some fantastic results for our players
FastStep players picked up several medals across the age groups. Read on to see the medal winners:
Ben Smith picked up a well earned bronze medal at the Kent U14 Open in Gillingham this weekend.
After a strong performance in the singles where he got to the knock-out stages, Ben continued his good form into the doubles where with partner Adam Davies he reached the semi-finals.
The boys fought hard against the number 2 seeds, with the second game going to extended play but just going against them.
Elliott Lucas and David Jolliffe were victorious in the boys U16 doubles at the Tunbridge Wells Badminton League tournament this weekend.
Elliott also reached the semi finals of the U16 boys singles. Well done lads!
Well done to FastStep Elite player Jack Thomson for winning the mens singles event at the recent Eastbourne senior tournament.
Jack battled past all 5 other competitors in the round robin event, the closest being a 21-19 win over fellow FastStep player Will Savage.
Well done to FastStep players who played at the Crawley Junior Badminton tournament at K2 today.
There was victory in the girls singles for Casey Coats, who then picked up a second gold medal by winning the girls doubles with fellow FastStep player Amy Radford (pictured, top).
David Jolliffe and Elliott Lucas (pictured, centre) reached the final of the boys year 9/10 doubles and were runners up.
Well done to Will Pieckelon who reached the semi finals of the year 9/10 boys singles, losing to the eventual winner Tom Wood 21-15.
And well done also to Rebecca Moon who reached the final of the girls singles and was 3rd in the doubles.
Strong performance by Luke Davies (pictured, bottom left) who won the boys doubles and was runner up in the singles.
And congratulations to young Abi Hunter (pictured, bottom right) who picked up a bronze medal in the year 5/6 girls’ singles event.
There was success for two FastStep players named Luke at the weekend.
At the East London U15 Bronze, Luke Davies picked up a bronze medal in the boys doubles, losing in the semi finals to the same pair that had earlier knocked out another FastStep player Ben Smith.
Meanwhile at the Tunbridge Wells Badminton Tournament there was a runners up spot for Luke Peel, who also reached the semi finals of the singles.
There were medals for several FastStep players representing their schools in the National Schools Badminton Championships county round at the Dolphin Leisure Centre today.
Warden Park’s KS4 girls team, featuring Amy Radford, Eva Craig and Jess Blunden, won their event after beating Uckfield (featuring Casey Coats) in the final. They will now play at the regional round at Surrey Sports Park next week.
There was also a silver medal for Ben Smith whose team, Tanbridge House School, narrowly lost in the final against Downlands.
Congratulations to FastStep player Ben Anthony who has secured a place in the current Sussex U13 squad.
Ben, who won the U12 boys doubles at last month’s Mid Sussex Tournament, was recommended for a county trial by his FastStep coaches. Ben will make his debut at a friendly quad match on 28th February.
FastStep is a Sussex County Development Academy and works with Sussex County Junior Badminton to identify and promote emerging talent.
Ben Smith won a well deserved Silver medal at the Luton U15 Bronze tournament on a busy weekend for FastStep players which saw six of our Elite squad in action.
Playing in the mixed doubles in Luton with fellow Sussex player Robyn Haysom, Ben qualified for the final in a tight box that went to countback. There they met another Sussex pair who had also escaped a tight box. In the final Ben and Robyn just lost out 21-17 but were rewarded with a Silver medal.
Meanwhile in Gillingham, Eva Craig picked up Silver in the girls doubles at the Kent U17 Bronze. The tournament was awash with Sussex players, 5 of them from FastStep (well done Amy, Ben, Casey, Monica and Eva), and a testament to the growing strength of badminton in our county.
Well done to FastStep players who took part in the U16 and U18 Mid Sussex Badminton Tournament this weekend.
Amy Fines was runner up in the U16 girls’ singles, while Laura Hemsley won the U18 girls’ singles plate.
William Pieckielon played well to reach the semi finals of the U16 boys singles and the quarters of the doubles.
David Jolliffe and Elliott Lucas also played well reaching the knock out stages of the U16 boys doubles.