Guyana cops stunning tenth consecutive CASA Junior Championships team title

Winning both the girls and boys category titles, the Guyana national junior squash team defended their title and won their tenth consecutive Caribbean title at the Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Junior Championships, yesterday, when the competition concluded in Hamilton, Bermuda.In another unprecedented achievement the girls’ team collected their ninth consecutive win of the girls’ team title when they went head to head against Trinidad and Tobago’s team, while the boys’ team registered their 16th title win in the competition’s history.
The boys battled it out against Jamaica.

It was girls’ Under-17 player Taylor Fernandes who got the ball rolling when she dominated against Marion Gillezeau in a straight set win. Replacing an injured Larissa Wiltshire, who was out due to injury, a confident Fernandes ousted Gillezeau 11-9, 11 -5, 11 – 3.

Victoria Arjoon was up next against Marie Claire Barcant, in what would be her final match at the junior competition and gave it her all. Marking the close of a well decorated ten years as a player at the junior CASA competition, the four time Caribbean champion eliminated Barcant also in straight sets finishing her off 11-5, 11-2, 11- 7.

Another straight set win prevailed when Akeila Wiltshire took on girls Under -19 champion Charlotte Knaggs, however , this time around it was in favour of the Trinidad side. Three time Caribbean champion, Knaggs and Akeila had earlier faced off in the under 19 finals, with Knaggs prevailing. Akeila lost a close first game 8 – 11, another 8 – 11 end presided in the second set, before the third set closed off 9 – 11.

Rebecca Low then took on Alexandria Yearwood in the Under- 15 girls tie. Low lost 7 – 11, 11 – 9, 5 – 11, 5 – 11, leaving the decision of a win on the outcome of the fifth and final match between Makeda Harding and Al Rawi.

The two had met earlier in the team group match, when Makeda had won easily three games to love. Yesterday was no different, as Harding took another easy three set win ending 11 – 4, 11-3, 11 – 0.

On the boys side Guyana knew that they needed to win the first two matches to stand any chance of defending their boys’ team title.
First on court was Ben Mekdeci against Tahjia Lumley in the under 17 Division. Mekdeci had beaten Lumley in the quarter finals of the individual events so he was very confident coming into the match. Ben easily won the first game 11- 3.
The second game was very close but Ben was able to secure it by winning it 11 – 9. The loss of this second game seemed to take all of the fighting spirit from Tahjia and Ben ran away with the third game winning it 11 – 3.

The next match on court would decide who would win the Boys’ Team title. Nyron Joseph was pitted against Jake Mahfood in the Under 19 No. 2 string match. Nyron had lost to Jake three games to two in the individual semi-finals.
Nyron lost a close first game 8 – 11 and then lost the second game rather badly 3 – 11. Nyron seemed to re-focus and quickly jumped out to a 9 – 3 lead in the third game. It seemed as this game would be quickly over but this was not to be. Jake dug deep and won point after point to get to 9 all. However , Nyron held his nerve and won this game 11 – 9.
The fourth game went back and forth but with Jake leading 9 – 6 and two points from the match it seemed to be all over for Nyron. Nyron, however, is a fighter and clawed his way back into the game saving a match ball at 10 – 9. He was eventually able to win the fourth game 13 – 11 and for the second time in five days these two players would go into a fifth and deciding game.
The game was intense, each player was giving his all.
The game would go back and forth. Both players were physically exhausted but neither was giving up. Jake got to match ball at 10 – 9 but Nyron kept his cool and saved it. Nyron then had match ball and played a drop shot into the tin.

Finally at 13 – 12 Nyron was able to win the next and most crucial point and with that the game 14 – 12 and the match by three games to two. Team Guyana then knew that the Boys Team Title was now almost certainly their own.

Jean Claude Jeffrey then took to the court in his match with Under 19 Individual Champion Julian Morrison. On this day Julian would prove to be the better player. Jean Claude lost the first game 7 – 11 and then lost the second game by an even closer score of 10 – 12.
The loss of these two games seemed to take all of the energy from Jean Claude and he lost the third game 2 – 11.

In the Under 15 match Alex Cheeks was matched up against Jonathan Walker Individual Runner up. Alex lost the first game 5 – 11 and then lost the second game 3 – 11. He then lost the third game 2 – 11.

It was now up to Shomari Wiltshire to seal the victory for Team Guyana. This he did with ease winning the first two games 11 – 0 and then dropped one point in the third game winning it 11 – 1. Guyana had thus secured the Boys’ Team title to add to the Girls’ Team Title that they had won earlier in the day.

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