DeKalb High School will host the IHSA Girls Badminton State Finals, the IHSA announced Monday.
DeKalb will host from 2023 until at least 2025. Athletic director Peter Goff said badminton coach Zach Effler had wanted to host the tournament for some time, and his hard work, along with the work of the school’s facilities committee, made the offer possible. .”
“It’s been a dream of Zach,” Goff said. “When I came here four years ago, he talked about it, and it was like oh, okay. Then we entered the DVC, and I took over for badminton, and the DVC is a highly touted badminton conference. Naperville North, Neuqua Valley, all really good. They said we had the facilities to do that, to accommodate that. We knew it was coming up for an offer and Zach worked on it for quite a while and presented it to the committee last week.
IHSA officials toured the facility a few weeks ago, and on Monday the governing body announced the bid was from DeKalb.
Goff said while the event will likely use school grounds, championship games will be held at the Dayton Gymnasium.
“The ground will be used a lot, but the best thing is that we will use the Dayton and create an arena-like atmosphere,” Goff said. “A bit like the US Open. We will introduce the athletes and make it a big event for student-athletes. Let them have the time of their life.
Three other venues have submitted bids to host the state tournament. The IHSA did not release the names of the other three bidders.
DeKalb High School will be the seventh location to host the state tournament when the 2023 edition takes place May 12-13, 2023. The first IHSA Girls Badminton State Finals was held at New Trier West in 1977. In 1980, Evanston Township High School hosted for the first time, beginning an annual rotation between New Trier and Evanston that would last until 2002. Downers Grove North then hosted for three years, before Eastern Illinois University only resumed hosting duties in 2006, which they continued until 2019. The 2020 state series was canceled due to the pandemic, and Hinsdale South hosted in 2021 and 2022.
IHSA executive director Craig Anderson hinted in a statement that the deal could extend beyond three years.
“We are thrilled to find a new home for the Women’s Badminton National Finals,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “DeKalb’s facilities are second to none, and we believe they have the vision to take this event to the next level. State badminton has a long history of hosting, and we hope to make DeKalb its home for years to come.
