Hannaway leads Team OECS in Junior Squash Championships

An eight-member contingent of junior squash players from St. Vincent and the Grenadines returned from Guyana on Friday, July 15, 2011, having competed in the Digicel Junior Caribbean Squash Championships 2011. They competed along with players from BVI, St.Lucia and Dominica as Team OECS.{{more}}

The competition opened with individuals vying for top spots within their respective age categories. In the Girls U13, Thandi Myers, in her first outing, lost in the first round to the #2 seed from Barbados(4-11,2-11.4-11). Entered automatically in the Consolation Draw, Thandi played her way into the Finals and into second place. She defeated two Guyanese players along the way (11-5,11-9,11-7 and 11-0,11-3,11-5) and ended the tournament in sixth position.

Girls U15 Demi Ollivierre easily overcame her Guyanese opponent in the first round, (11-3,11-2,11-3), but lost her subsequent match (5-11,1-11,1-11) to an eventual semi-finalist from Guyana. Demi placed sixth in her category. Gianna Millar, in her second outing, weighed in with a creditable performance against the #2 seed from Barbados (8-11, 7-11,3-11). Gianna reached the semi-finals of the Consolation draw, after surviving a strong challenge from Bermuda, only to suffer a heavy lost against a player from Cayman Is (4-11,4-11,4-11).

2010 U13 Champion Jason Doyle, playing in the U15 category, was taken out of the main draw when he lost his first match to one of two brothers from Cayman Is (10-12,8-11,11-8,9-11). Jason went on to win the Consolation Draw by thrashing the second brother (11-8,11-9,11-6) and thereby secured an overall 5th place. Omari Wilson, also eliminated from the main draw, secured a semi-final spot, but missed out on playing Doyle in the final, having lost the match (7-11/3-11/1-11).

U17 player Romario Constance made it to the quarter finals, but was stopped by the eventual third place player (7-11,12-10,7-11,6-11). He ended in 8th place. U19 Jules Snagg easily brushed aside his first opponent from Barbados (11-5,11-3,11-2), but the #1 player from Bermuda ended his campaign (8-11,10-12,2-11). Snagg then easily took out all other opponents to take the 5th spot. National champion Kevin Hannaway was the only OECS player to remain in the main draw. His semi-final encounter with Trinidadian #1 Wilson was a demonstration of long rallies and personal fitness. In the end, Wilson triumphed (6-11,13-11,9-11,8-11) and eventually won the U19 category. Kevin finished 4th behind the region’s top guns Franklin (Bermuda), Arjoon (Guyana) and Wilson (Trinidad).

Nine-year-old Kai Bentick, playing as an individual entrant, gave a good account of himself in the Boys U13 category. He lost his first match, but played his way to the semi-finals of the Consolation draw. He lost that match 9-11/ 11-9/ 9-11/9-11.

The team was accompanied by Coach James Bentick and Manager Deirdre Myers. Participation was made possible through sponsorship from the National Lotteries Authority.