MORE than 100 primary pupils served up their badminton skills during an action packed schools event at Carnegie Leisure Centre last week.

Organised by Dunfermline and West Fife Sports Council, the competition was held as part of a series of school sports festivals that are held throughout the year, and saw 106 youngsters from 19 schools step onto the court.

Although an ace day was had by all, Commercial Primary's Rowan Speed, Carineyhill's Maeve Lawes, and North Queensferry in particular made net gains as they claimed the boys singles, girls singles and Donibristle Shield Team Trophy respectively.

The festival is one of several across eight cross that the sports council organise during the year, and was sponsored by the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust, with support from the Dunfermline Badminton Association (DBA), Fife Sports and Leisure Trust and Active Schools Fife.

Throughout the season, most of the schools involved have received input on badminton coaching by the sports council in conjunction with the DBA and Carnegie Badminton Club, and it showed as many close games – particularly in the latter stages – were played out.

But, in the boys singles, it was Rowan who finished top of the class as Conor Mullen, of St Margaret's, finished runner-up, with Donibristle pair Jonathan Lawrence and Rory Campbell finishing fourth.

After Maeve took top spot in the girls category, Pittencrieff's Chloe Mackenzie placed second, Macy Lawes (Cairneyhill) was third, and Duloch's Mia Gray was fourth.

The Donibristle Shield Team Trophy is awarded to the best team effort on the day – with all scores from all in each school taken into consideration from the main draw onwards – and North Queensferry were declared the winners.

They also finished on top in the small schools category, which saw St Serf's and Milesmark take home silver and bronze, as Donibristle and St Margaret's finished second and third in the main award.

After each festival, points are awarded to the top-performing schools and are put towards final totals that will determine the winners of the Sports School of the Year Award, which is presented at the sports council's annual awards ceremony.

As North Queensferry is a small school, the next large school, Commercial, will also gain a point.

THE fifth and final Dunfermline Badminton Association junior singles ladder of the season saw Rebecca McGourty and Rory Stewart crowned queen and king of the court.

A total of 50 players entered the event at Queen Anne High School and, after a number of close matches with plenty of count backs to determine placings, the duo earned the greatest number of highest placings throughout the season.

After each ladder, the Harry Welshman Trophies – this time presented to Megan Addison, and Stewart, Ross McGourty and Andrew Savage in a three-way tie – are awarded to the best placed boy and girl respectively.

The two players that have won the greatest number of highest places have their names engraved on the trophies, and that honour has fallen the way of McGourty and Stewart.

Players are rated throughout the season, with the object to move up as close to pool one as possible, and the winners for rounds one and two respectively were: Pool One – Andrew Savage, Ross McGourty; Pool Two – Megan Addison, Euan Stewart; Pool Three – Euan Stewart, Fraser Speed; Pool Four – Murray McGillivray, Andrew Flockhart; Pool Five – Andrew Flockhart, Robbie Sinclair; Pool Six – Conor Mullen, Aryan Kumar; Pool Seven – Spencer Tuckwell; Laura Keenan; Pool Eight – Laura Keenan, Aaran Barclay; Pool Nine – Paul Anderson, Owen McLaughlan; Pool 10 – Paul Anderson, Owen McLaughlan; Pool 11 – Alex Livingston, Lewis Brown; Pool 12 – Daniel Toal, Christopher Anderson.

In addition, the final doubles ladder also took place at Queen Anne on February 24 and, although the entry was smaller than usual, there were plenty of competitive matches on show.

Carnegie Badminton Club's Gillian Clary and Bela Csenki won the top pool in both rounds, and the results were as follows: Round One, Pool A – Gillian Clark and Bela Csenki; Pool B – Graham Daly and David Wilson; Pool C – Ryan Coper and Adam Cottis.

Round Two, Pool A – Gillian Clark and Bela Csenki; Pool B – David Lawrence and Pauline McLean; Pool C – Chris Keay and George Stenhouse.