Douglas College took a strong first step towards an unprecedented eighth consecutive PacWest badminton title.
The Royals opened up the college badminton season with the overall team title and first place in all five individual events at the opening tournament in Kamloops on Friday and Saturday.
Led by fifth-year veterans Charmagne Yeung and four-time player of the year RuiLin Huang of Burnaby, Douglas swept the team title with a perfect 4-0 record against teams from Kwantlen, Langara, Vancouver Island and host Thompson Rivers University.
Huang led off by winning the women's singles event without dropping a single game. She also teamed with Yeung for the doubles title.
Yeung also teamed up with rookie Royal Nathan Choi, who paired with men's singles champion Luo Wei to win the doubles, with a victory in mixed doubles to sweep the individual events.
In the men's singles, Wei upset the No. 1 seed Jason Sun from Langara in a three-match final.
Wei and Choi defeated Kwantlen duo Andy Wong and Willis Kwee in men's doubles.
Choi and Yeung knocked a hard-working Langara pair of Matt Downton and Ashley Jang in the mixed final.
"I was happy with how the team stuck together and fought hard, but the execution must be better for success this season," said Douglas head coach Al Mawani.
Bob Sharma, fourth in men's singles, teamed with Laura Tacon for third in mixed doubles.
Tacon and Nancy Ho, the B division runner-up, placed third in women's doubles as well. Mark Chang and Charles Panizales won the B division men's doubles.
