RACHEL CHAN NAMED OCAA FEMALE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

TORONTO - The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) is proud to announce that Rachel Chan of Humber Polytechnic has been named its 2025-26 Female Rookie of the Year.

Chan (Toronto) delivered one of the most dominant seasons in recent history, capturing both the OCAA and Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) women's singles badminton titles. Chan's post-season performance was highlighted by a commanding straight-sets victory (21-7, 21-7) over the reigning three-time CCAA Player of the Year in the national final, solidifying Humber's first national title in women's singles since 2017.

Internationally, Chan represented Canada at the 2026 Pan Am Games, winning the Female Cup gold medal and currently holds a world ranking of 77th in women's singles, further underscoring her elite caliber. Chan's impact extends beyond results, as she elevated the Humber Hawks badminton program back to national prominence through a season defined by precision, consistency, and dominance.

Chan achieved a double victory at the Seneca Invitational in January, clinching both the women's singles title and the women's doubles event alongside teammate Elena Meng. Throughout both competitions, Chan maintained a perfect record, winning all nine of her matches in straight sets. Chan's singles performance was especially commanding, as she never conceded more than six points in any single set. Chan nearly secured a third podium finish in mixed doubles with partner Jack Ronahan; the pair went 3-0 and held a 21-12 lead in the first set of the semifinals before a withdrawal forced them out of the tournament.

Chan returned to Seneca the following month for the OCAA championships. Selected by Humber as one of its two student-athletes in the women's singles competition, Chan cruised to four straight victories in the round robin by an average set score of 21-4. Chan defeated Humber teammate Meng in the semifinal before cruising past Seneca's Chincco Lai in straight sets. Chan never allowed an opponent to reach double digits in a single set including a 21-1, 21-2 finals win over Lai. With a gold medal in tow, Chan was named an OCAA First-Team All-Star and added another gold medallion to her collection as a key member of the Humber women's team that secured its first championship title in three seasons.

Moving onto the CCAA National Badminton Championships in Saint John, N.B., Chan continued her domination, winning five straight matches including a walkover by an average set score of 21-3. Chan allow just two points against in another sweep in the semifinals, then defeating CCAA Player of the Year Ritu Shah in the final by identical 21-7 scores to secure the national gold medal. Chan was also a member of an OCAA-1 squad that won the CCAA team supremacy title. In a dozen matches at both the OCAA and CCAA championships, Chan went 12-0 and outscored her opponents outscoring her opponents 504-81 (21.0-3.4).

At the 2020 Canadian National Championships, Chan secured the women's singles title and became the youngest national champion in Canadian history. Chan's international experience includes multiple appearances at the Pan Am Junior Championships from 2016 to 2019, as well as a round-of-32 finish at the 2019 World Junior Championships. In 2021, Chan made a strong senior-level international debut by winning silver at the Pan Am Championships, and she later added to her achievements by clinching bronze at the 2023 Pan American Games.

PREVIOUS OCAA FEMALE ROOKIES OF THE YEAR
2024-25 — Peyton Jones, Durham Women's Softball
2023-24 — Shade Hansen, Humber Women's Softball
2022-23 — Emily Cooper, Durham Women's Rugby Sevens

- OCAA -

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