College Sport Media
  • Home
  • About
  • Love what we do?
  • Articles
    • Athletics/XC
    • Bike
    • Bowls
    • Boxing
    • Basketball
    • Cricket
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Hockey
    • Netball
    • Rowing
    • Rugby League
    • Rugby Union
    • Sailing
    • Softball
    • Swimming
    • Tennis
    • Volleyball
    • Water Polo
    • Weight Lifting
    • Other
  • Videos!
  • Advertise with CSM
  • History of National Events
  • NZ Schools Rugby
    • NZS 2017
    • NZS 2015
    • NZS 2014
    • NZS 2013
    • NZS 2012
    • NZS 2011
    • NZS 2010
    • NZS 2009
    • NZS 2008
    • NZS 2007
    • NZS 2006
    • NZS 2005
    • NZS 2004
    • NZS 2003
    • NZS 2002
    • NZS 2001
    • NZS 2000
    • NZS 1999
    • NZS 1998
    • NZS 1997
    • NZS 1996
    • NZS 1995
    • NZS 1994/95 Tour
    • NZS 1994
    • NZS 1993
    • NZS 1992
    • NZS 1991
    • NZS 1990
    • NZS 1989
    • NZS 1988
    • NZS 1987
    • NZS 1986
    • NZS 1985
    • NZS 1984/85 Tour
    • NZS 1984
    • NZS 1983
    • NZS 1982
    • NZS 1981
    • NZS 1980
    • NZS 1979
    • NZS 1978
    • NZ Schools Stats
  • Index of Articles
  • Partners
  • Youth Olympics 2018,2020
  • Emerging Talent
  • College Rugby Draws
  • Home
  • About
  • Love what we do?
  • Articles
    • Athletics/XC
    • Bike
    • Bowls
    • Boxing
    • Basketball
    • Cricket
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Hockey
    • Netball
    • Rowing
    • Rugby League
    • Rugby Union
    • Sailing
    • Softball
    • Swimming
    • Tennis
    • Volleyball
    • Water Polo
    • Weight Lifting
    • Other
  • Videos!
  • Advertise with CSM
  • History of National Events
  • NZ Schools Rugby
    • NZS 2017
    • NZS 2015
    • NZS 2014
    • NZS 2013
    • NZS 2012
    • NZS 2011
    • NZS 2010
    • NZS 2009
    • NZS 2008
    • NZS 2007
    • NZS 2006
    • NZS 2005
    • NZS 2004
    • NZS 2003
    • NZS 2002
    • NZS 2001
    • NZS 2000
    • NZS 1999
    • NZS 1998
    • NZS 1997
    • NZS 1996
    • NZS 1995
    • NZS 1994/95 Tour
    • NZS 1994
    • NZS 1993
    • NZS 1992
    • NZS 1991
    • NZS 1990
    • NZS 1989
    • NZS 1988
    • NZS 1987
    • NZS 1986
    • NZS 1985
    • NZS 1984/85 Tour
    • NZS 1984
    • NZS 1983
    • NZS 1982
    • NZS 1981
    • NZS 1980
    • NZS 1979
    • NZS 1978
    • NZ Schools Stats
  • Index of Articles
  • Partners
  • Youth Olympics 2018,2020
  • Emerging Talent
  • College Rugby Draws
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

6/8/2019 Comments

Maiden NZSS squash title for Whangarei Girls’ High School

Picture
Number one - the winning NZSS Squash Championships girls' team Whangarei Girls' High School.
Whangarei Girls’ High School were thrilled to put their name on a New Zealand Secondary Schools trophy this past weekend, winning their maiden NZSS Squash Championships title in Tauranga.

Whangarei GHS were top seeds heading into the tournament, but they had to be at their best to see off the other leading schools, who included recent champions Palmerston North Girls’ High School (third), Havelock North High School and Westlake Girls’ High School.

Whangarei GHS beat Westlake Girls’ High School in their semi-final tie on Saturday and returned on Sunday to defeat Havelock North Girls’ High School in the final.

It was a team tournament that saw schools play the best of five singles games against each other per tie, with the respective seeded players facing off against each other, i.e. fifth versus fifth and first versus first.

Whangarei captain and the team’s second seed Pippa Saunders said their strength and the key to victory was in their depth of players, having strong players all the way through the squad.  

“In past years we have had really strong players, but the depth dropped away a bit at the bottom, but this year we had a team full of B graders so our bottom players won all their games comfortably,” said Pippa.

“It is pretty hard to get a team full of top players, so having that consistency is the key to winning this event,”

The team ranged in age from years 9 to 13, with three year 9 players in the squad including third seed Chelsea Traill who was named in the NZ Junior Girls team after the tournament. Top seed Shea Ferguson is year 11.

Whangarei came second in 2014 and 2015 and finished fifth last year.

Pippa said there was extra expectation on the team heading into the weekend as top seeds.

“We were a bit nervous going into it, being top seeds we were almost supposed to win but we knew it was going to close as the other high ranked schools were really strong as well.”

Whangarei started the tournament with a bye, before beating 17th seeds Papamoa College 5-0, then ninth seeds Tauranga Girls’ College 4-1 before the semi-final and final wins.

“We then won our semi-final 5-0, but we knew our final as going to be really close. Chelsea was up first and we knew that she needed to win because our top player Shea had a tough game and it was going to be hard for her to win. So if Chelsea had lost it would have come down to the last player, who was actually myself.”

Chelsea won her match in three sets against Rakairoa Joyce. Next, Amy Brown won the battle of the fifth seeds 3 sets to 1 to put Whangarei up 2-0. Havelock North’s Jena Gregory beat Shea in three sets to make it 2-1 to Whangarei.

Then the number four players took to the court with the tie still very much alive.  Ruby Collins kept to her game plan and won 3-1, sealing the tie for Whangarei Girls’ High School.

The dead rubber match saw Havelock North's Jasmine Roydhouse-Ross beat Pippa 3-0. “I was really relieved when Ruby won her match in four sets – I think I just celebrated a bit too early and lost my focus in my game.”

Pippa said the format of the tournament makes for plenty of excitement. “It is very tense, you are clapping after each point and it is very nerve-wracking at times.”

What happens now? ”We all play in the Northland development squad, and coach Paul Ormsby comes up from Auckland every week. We all play individually in the Northland tournaments but we come together soon for the junior nationals for Northland in individual and team events.”

Pippa said that for herself and Shea, squash is their sole sport but others in the team also play other sports, such as Chelsea who plays both cricket and hockey.

The NZSS Squash Championships attracted some 20 girls schools and 32 boys schools and was played over three days across three different squash clubs in Tauranga.

Mount Albert Grammar School defeated hometown school Tauranga Boys’ College 3-1 in the boys final.

The winning NZSS Whangarei Girls’ High School team was (seeding in brackets):

Shea Ferguson (1), Pippa Saunders (2), Chelsea Traill (3), Ruby Collins (4), Amy Brown (5), Olivia Rhodes (6), Jordyn Chapman (7). Coach: Delwyn Houlihan. Manager: Justine Collins

NZSS squash champions - last 20 years:
Picture
Comments

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All

    Archives

    March 2022
    February 2022
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015

Organisation

College Sport Media is dedicated to telling the story of successful young sportspeople in New Zealand

Use of articles

All rights are reserved for commercial use.
Any Educational Institution or official sports governing body may use material with acknowledgement to College Sport Media 
© COPYRIGHT 2015.-2021 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.