RomeroGemmell wins player of the year

Rising Manawatu¯ star Anabel Romero-gemmell has been named Central’s player of the year at their annual awards.

Romero

Gemmell is 13, but won the player-of-theyear title at the awards earlier this month, having come a long way this year.

She started the nomination period by winning her third national in a row, then after a break resumed her efforts to compete in two prestigious international tournaments: the Scottish and the British opens.

She spent Christmas Eve on a plane travelling to Edinburgh to compete in the Scottish Open, where she came fifth.

Then she travelled to Birmingham for the British Open and faced top players from Malaysia, India, Spain and England.

She came 25th out of 128 and saw how top players operate.

She was selected for the New Zealand junior elite squad in January.

Romero-gemmell trained through lockdown and restarted the year at the Taupo¯ invitational, winning the junior division.

She came third at the North Island championships in the under15 grade and was undefeated in the B grade super champs.

Now an A-grade player, she helps the Squashgym Palmerston North academy, mentoring and training with younger players.

Romero-gemmell was in the 2019 Central junior girls team that won the team of the year award.

Also in the team were her Squashgym club-mates Kaitlyn Watts, Annaleise Faint and Genevieve Bell, as well as Abbie Holmes of Ha¯wera.

The team was crowned joint champions with Auckland.

In other awards, the mostimproved junior player of the year was Jayden Bailey of the Ohakune Squash Club.

Katie Gilmour of Rangitı¯kei Squash Club was named administrator of the year.

Personality of the year award went to Rangitı¯kei’s Ross Berrett.

Volunteer of the year was Heather Plank of the Rangitı¯kei and

hakea clubs.