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Central Juniors retain trophy

Our Juniors headed to the sunny Hawkes bay to do battle with the Eastern District to try and retain the annual challenge trophy, which we won for last two years.  The team had a good mix of experience and debutants in the mix.

The girls team was captained by experienced U19 player Abbie Holmes previously of Hawera but now playing out of New Plymouth Club Kawaroa Park. With several of our U19s Juniors transitioning out of Juniors and into the Central seniors at the end of last year, we had a few new faces to the team, to represent Central for the first time - Piper Bennett and Amelia Laws both from Tararua playing up in the U13's and in the U17's Emma Burnard of Ohakune rounded out the debutants in the girls side teamed with previous reps U19 player Kayla Ryan of Hawera, Grace Burnard Ohakune, Aria Bannister Whanganui and Elizabeth Laws Tararua completed the girls team.

The boys teams only had one new rep player in Jake Laws of Tararua joining his 2 sisters and proving this is an up and coming squash family to watch.  The rest of the team saw returning players ,  Ethan Darlington U11, Thor Darlington and Maximus Mathews U13's all of Whanganui, Cassius Leevey of New Plymouth and  Korey O'Hara U15's from Taihape and Jackson Clement U17 Hawera. The team was co captained by Connor Fortuin U19 Palmerston North and Reece Holmes Hawera who played up from U15s in the U19 age group.  

The team was rounded out by coaches this year were Pete Arnott and we welcome experienced Tamsyn Leevey to the team.  Manager Melville Holmes.

After a very hot day at the courts and 36 matches Central came out over all winners 21 matches to 15, making this 3 years in a row that we have won the challenge.

Thankyou to all the players for playing with great attitudes and sportsmanship, parents for their support in getting the players there.  Also to the Hastings Squash Club and Eastern for hosting us.

Keep up the training and look forward to seeing you at tournaments around the district. In particular our Central Juniors, in Taihape (June 26th/27th) and North Island Juniors (10-12th July) which are being hosted by Kawaroa Park, New Plymouth this year, it would be great to see these events made a priority.

 

Pictured below, girls captain Abbie Holmes who battled Eastern's young A grader Jena Gregory.

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