One would not expect someone who only played a sport for a year to win any big tournament, especially the State championships. But that is exactly the case for senior Hannah Arvold, the champion of the Minnesota Badminton State Tournament last Thursday, May 15th.

The meet was held both Wednesday and Thursday. “We started at like 9 in the morning until 3 o’clock and you play badminton constantly. I played like five matches that day [Thursday],” Arvold said.

She explained that while everyone makes it to the state meet, the players are seeded, which matches players against each other based on their record and ability. The state is then divided into four sections and players compete against others in different sections. “I just kept winning, and kept playing new people,” laughed Arvold.

When she finally won, she said, “I was very happy and I was very tired. It’s very tiring. It’s just really exciting!” Arvold attributes her growth as a player to two factors. “I had a great coach,” she said. Arvold also has practice playing both singles badminton this year and doubles badminton last year. This helped her “[work] on all my shots.”

While she doesn’t plan on playing badminton in college, Arvold hopes to join a club. She will also compete in soccer at Augsburg College next year here in the Twin Cities.