The prospects for this year's Falcon's badminton team just got a whole lot brighter, now that Nathaniel Allard has signed on to play men's singles.

Allard, who has been a competitive force within the OCAA badminton league for two years while attending Centennial College, is now enrolled at Fanshawe for post-graduate studies.

“He's a real ambassador of OCAA athletics and definitely left his mark on the provincial and national level,” said Fanshawe Athletics Manager, Mike Lindsay.

Standing at a tall 6'5. Allard dominates in a sport that was originally reserved for people of less stature.

A rookie in 2004 when he entered the college system, Allard took home the top prize in the men's single at the National Badminton Championship.

That same year he was awarded the OCAA rookie of the year, as well as OCAA athlete of the year.

During his time at Centennial College, Allard took home the gold two years running at the provincial OCAA badminton finals.

Allard, who has been playing the game for close to a decade, has also been a top competitor at invitational meets and during his high school career in Ajax, Ontario.

Last year, Allard went to the National Championship again in Barrie, but lost to Brody Hilland of Alberta's Mount Royal College and brought home silver.

“His presentation, professionalism and communication skills are excellent,” said Lindsay.

Fanshawe has awarded Allard with the Athletic Entrance Award, which is given to top athletes from the college for their dedication to not only to their sport, but for academic excellence.

When the awards were given out last year, Lindsay said, the entrance award was added as a coaching tool to recruit top athletes to come to Fanshawe.

The scholarship, which Fanshawe started awarding to students three years ago, consists of two $500 installments at the beginning of each semester of the school year.

“Students need to know that the states aren't the only place to get a scholarship,” Lindsay said about the bursary and scholarships available for athletes at Fanshawe.