Squash: Champs end manager's 20 year wait
Scott Applegate's grin was the biggest as the Hawke's Bay Squash Club's E grade women's team's national title winning celebrations moved into day two yesterday.
The team's manager and club president has been trying to win a national title for the past 20 years.
"As a player, coach or manager I've been to 14 nationals and this is the first title. It's a great feeling," Applegate said as he reflected on the side's unbeaten run which was topped by a 5-0 drubbing of top seeds Ngaruawahia in Saturday's final of the Hastings-hosted Tumu ITM Super Champs.
"This is the third time our club has won the Bay of Plenty Trophy and for all of our players it was their first national title. We ended up winning 22 of our 25 matches played during the four days."
Three of his fifth-seeded team's players, 15-year-old No.1 Jessica Ennor, 13-year-old No.2 Rosemary Mair and 15-year-old No.7 Alyssa Martin, who played in the No.5 berth in the final, were unbeaten during the nationals.
In the final Ennor beat Rodica Barton-Wellington 3-1, Mair beat Shalayne Wellington 3-0, Bay No.3 Rebecca MacIntosh beat Tracey Holmes 3-0, Ennor's sister and Bay No.4 Ashleigh Ennor beat Leanne Garrick 3-0 and Martin beat Fiona Morgan 3-1.
Other members of the side were Michelle Rieter and Claudette McDonald.
For coach Don Matthews it was his second national title. He was in the club's last C grade men's team to win the nationals.
Eight teams from the province were in action at national finals around the country last week but the Hawke's Bay club's E grade women were the only side to win a title. Hawke's Bay Lawn's E grade men were second in Hastings after losing their final 3-0 to Palmerston North.
Havelock North's E grade men were fifth and Hawke's Bay Lawn's E grade women fourth.
Hawke's Bay Lawn's B grade women finished sixth in Christchurch, Hawke's Bay Lawn's C grade men were third in Auckland, Hawke's Bay's D grade women were fifth in Hamilton and Havelock North's F grade men were fifth in Invercargill.
