Lash and Dunbar take New Zealand Junior Open Honours
30 Apr 2024New Zealand’s best young squash athletes are recovering following three days of intense competition at the New Zealand Junior Open.
More than 150 athletes aged 18-and-under converged on Palmerston North’s Squash Gym for the competition.
Both first division finals went down to the wire in five game battles. In the women’s division Auckland’s Ella Lash managed to beat Sophie Hodges, winning the final game 11-6.
In the men’s Oliver Dunbar got the better of Freddie Jameson in another five game thriller, winning the last game 11-7.
“Winning it last year I really wanted to regain that title, not too many players have back-to-back titles,” said Lash.
“I’ve been a bit unwell so I didn’t put too much pressure on myself but on court I was feeling good and got that adrenaline rush and I’m really happy to get that win.
Any national event is always so cool, it was a great event, great to see everyone and just really good vibes all round.”
The New Zealand Junior Open is the only Squash New Zealand National Junior event that does not sort players into age groups – it is seeded solely on grades.
In 1950 the boys began contesting the Panmure squash club cup and from 1956 the girls have played off for the Dr T C Childs Vase (Silver Tray since 2004).
RESULTS:
Boys Open
1st Oliver Dunbar
2nd Freddie Jameson
3rd Rain Wong
Girls Open
1st Ella Lash
2nd Sophie Hodges
3rd Anabel Romeo-Gemmel
Boys Div 1
1st Jack Lord
2nd Malachy O'Connor
3rd Ollie Collier
Girls Div 1
1st Zara Hinton
2nd Francesca Pilcher
3rd Amelie Lianto
Boys Div 2
1st Cody Caton
2nd Eamon Gannon
3rd Toby Freyria
Girls Div 2
1st Mikayla Carroll
2nd Sasha Hardie
3rd Tahlia Kean
Boys Div 3
1st Jake Laws
2nd Ben Pottinger
3rd Fynn Borrie
Girls Div 3
1st Meeah Bailey
2nd Hana Harding
3rd Kiara Kean
Boys Div 4
1st Blake Stevens
2nd Samuel Barlow
3rd Angus Drummond
Girls Div 4
1st Emily Chan
2nd Claudia Westrup
3rd Jessie Harding
Boys Div 5
1st Tiaan Venter
2nd Max Pickering
3rd Robert Keown
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