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Yukon Open Squash Championships draw talent to Whitehorse

‘It was a very entertaining final’
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Grayson Peters, left, and Julien Revel, seen here in a match in January, were both in the open division of the Yukon Open Squash Championship from May 4 to 6. Revel won the division while Peters was the consolation winner. (Crystal Schick/Yukon News file)

The best squash players from the Yukon and beyond were in Whitehorse for the 2018 Yukon Open Squash Championship from May 4 to 6.

Players travelled from B.C., Ontario, the Northwest Territories and across the Yukon for the three-day tournament to compete in seven different divisions.

Squash Yukon’s Jan Prieditis said the tournament ran smoothly with a high turnout of both players and fans.

The growing friendly rivalry with the territory next door continued, as four players and four supporters made the trip to Whitehorse from the Northwest Territories. Returning the favour, 14 Yukoners are set to travel to the Northwest Territories Territorial Championship during the first weekend in June.

The high turnout and wide draw of the championship made for an entertaining weekend of squash.

Julien Revel won the open division with Jay Herring in second and Stephen Grundmanis in third. Grayson Peters was the consolation winner.

Herring, a 15-year-old from Victoria, B.C., went down two games to zero against Revel, but battled back to two games each before losing in game five of the final.

“Everybody was in awe of his skill level at the age of 15,” said Prieditis. “It was a very entertaining final.”

In the men’s A division, Nicholas Terry finished first, Stephen Buckler finished second, Mackenzie Cameron finished third and Erik Jacobsen won the consolation.

In the mixed B division, Michel Gelinas won and Thibaut Rondel finished second. N.S. Reti was third and Andrew Bielz won the consolation.

The C division was divided into a men’s group and a women’s group.

In the men’s division, John Williams finished first, Sean Lee finished second, Trevor Meade-Robins finished third and Kevin Maves won the consolation.

In the women’s division, Kate Mercier won with Erika Joubert and Jada Kwok-Smith finishing second and third. Kennedy Cairns-Locke won the consolation.

In the women’s D division, Maya Cairns-Locke finished first, Echo Johnson finished second and Nancy Ohm finished third.

In the junior division, Rannon Johnson was first, Isaac Maddocks was second and Ryder Burlotte was third.

For junior players still looking for another chance to play, the Nuway Crushing junior league wraps up in two weeks with a tournament. Contact Squash Yukon to register.

Contact John Hopkins-Hill at john.hopkinshill@yukon-news.com