McDonald, Metcalfe win
Duo re-claim their singles club champion titles as squash season concludes
Te Awamutu Squash Club ended the season in style, with their Annual Club Champions competition taking place over two weeks for the first time in club history.
Separate competitions were held for both the doubles and singles championships.
After successfully introducing the doubles format in 2022, this year’s doubles club championship saw 32 teams of two competing across men’s, women’s and mixed divisions.
Division winners included: Men’s Division 1 — Liam McDonald/ Mike Lanting; Division 2 — RJ Cook/ Richard Cook; Women’s Division 1 — Kylie Morrison/Jannine Fairhurst; Division 2 — Rachel Downard/Tina Neilson; Mixed Division 1 — Patrick Downard/Jorja Metcalfe; Division 2 — Troy Morrison/Jannine Fairhurst.
In the singles competition, longstanding winners Jorja Metcalfe and Liam McDonald were able to re-claim their singles club champion titles, topping off some incredible personal achievements across the season.
Metcalfe’s recent return to fulltime squash saw her compete in some of New Zealand’s top events this year, including the New Zealand Squash Championships featuring the country’s top 32 players, in addition to competing as part of Squash Waikato’s senior team at the National Inter-District Team’s competition held in Hamilton.
As the club’s only A-grade female, Metcalfe was able to call on her wealth of experience to claim a well-deserved 3/0 victory over the club’s promising junior Charlee Neilson in the open competition.
Similarly, McDonald’s return to the sport from injury has seen his game reach new heights; including a triumphant return to A-Grade early in the season.
Nevertheless, this fifth straight club championship title was bittersweet, after his main competition and fellow A-grader, Connor Hill, was unable to participate due to injury.
A disappointing end for both, in a season that has seen them claim the highly sought after A-Grade standing, as well as compete alongside each other as part of the Squash Waikato men’s team at the New Zealand Inter-District Team competition.
Other senior club champions included: Women’s and Men’s B-Grade champions — Jannine Fairhurst and Mark Seager; runners-up — Shelley van der Hulst and Craig Watkinson. C-Grade champions — Charlee Neilson and Wurzel Gee; runners up — Brenda Duncan and Gregg Tickelpenny. D-Grade champions — Karen Ferguson and Judd Quigley; runners-up — Kirsten Beck and Evan Roose. E-Grade champions —
Liz Owen and Brae Metcalfe; runner’s up — Sophie Chipperfield and Darcy Finch.
The junior division saw some tense battles and even greater rivalries as some of the club’s rising juniors went head-to-head to be crowned winners of their respective grade divisions.
The final of the junior boys’ championships saw teammates and regular training partners Austin Furniss and Fergus Hill face off in a well-matched contest. In the end, the higher-graded Furniss won a tight contest 11/7, 11/9, 11/8.
It was an awesome achievement for Furniss, who is in his final junior year with the club.
In the junior girls’ championship, Neilson was dominant in her claim for a second junior title, capping off a year that has seen her achieve some incredible personal highs.
This included finishing as the under-15 Girls runner-up at the New Zealand age groups championships, in addition to being named as part of the New Zealand junior team to compete in the transtasman junior team championship to be held in Tauranga in December.
Winners of our Youth Cup, for the top J-Graded players, went to Indy Furniss and Luke Downard, with Sophie Pratt and Kade Seerup having to settle for the runners-up spots.
Other special club award recipients included Novice Men’s and Women’s Cups awarded to part
ners Liz Owen and Martyn Frost.
Owen, also claimed top spot in this year’s Club Ladder, adding a third trophy to her cabinet alongside that of the Novice and E-Grade Women’s Cups.
The club’s Most Improved Overall player and also the recipient of the Most Improved Junior Girl was Chloe Chipperfield who has moved an incredible 615 points from J2-D2; the third most improved junior girl in the Waikato region.
Equally incredible was the Most Improved Junior Boy, Wai’aryn Mills, who has shown some massive improvements, gaining a whopping 430 points, in his first year with the club.
Recipients of this year’s Junior Boy and Girl Sportsmanship cups were Tristan Eriksen and Sophie Pratt who were both recognised for their dedication to training and their positive attitudes on and off the court when representing the club at tournaments and school events.
Recipients of the club’s most coveted awards, namely the prestigious Catherine Livingstone Memorial Trophy for Club Member of the Year and the Club Spirit Trophy for contributions to the club were Patrick Downard and Simon McVie.
Downard truly encompasses what it means to be the club member of the year and is certainly deserving of the Catherine Livingstone Memorial Trophy.
Seen on and off-court almost
daily, Downard is passionate about not only his own development, but that of others and the club in general.
This passion has seen Downard become immersed in all areas of club life, from his formal roles as men’s club captain and junior coaching co-ordinator to less visible roles as coach, mentor and overall facilitator of the sport.
It is this dedication to the sport that also led Downard to be named Squash Waikato’s Volunteer of the Year late in 2022.
This year’s Club Spirit Trophy was awarded to McVie in recognition of his contributions behind the scenes as a passionate supporter of the club and its members.
McVie is always quick to lend a hand to help the club as a sponsor, fundraiser, team captain, mentor and background helper.
Moreover, his wry sense of humour, quips and cheeky oncourt commentary, as well as his always passionate support and encouragement of teammates and junior players has earned him the greatest respect and gratitude amongst club members.
Those interested in giving squash a go are encouraged to make the most of our summer membership deal: $100 for 1 adult & $50 for 1 child (valid December 1 — 1 March 1).
For more information and to keep up-to-date with what is happening at the club, visit their website, teawamutusquash.co.nz or like their Facebook page.