Table Tennis Yukon’s season hasn’t even begun and its players are already winning hardware.
Four Yukon players medaled at the 55th annual 2015 Edmonton Open Table Tennis Championships over the weekend in Alberta.
Not too shabby, “Considering the club hasn’t officially started,” said Yukon head coach Kevin Murphy.
“We were putting this trip together ... (club president) Dave Stockdale was working diligently on contacting the families and saying this is a great opportunity to play a lot of matches in your skill level. It just so happens to be on the Labour Day weekend before the club even starts. We had to contact parents before we were even midway through August.”
Of the four Yukon medalists, one came away with two.
Ashley Harris claimed silver with in the under-18 event, advancing to the final with a tough five-set win over Yukon teammate Kelcy Armstrong.
Harris also took silver in junior novice, a division dominated by Yukoners.
Yukon’s Arcel Siosan won gold and Armstrong silver in the junior novice A division.
Teammate Thomas Brenner claimed gold and Harris silver in the B division.
Siosan also made a strong run in the under-200 ranking points division. He went five sets against Alberta’s Florando Astillo, who went on to win the division.
“There were some close matches. Arcel lost a five-setter if he won, I’m sure he would have won the event,” said Murphy. “It was super close. They guy he lost did win the event.”
“It was a real battle. Arcel was down two sets right away and came back to win the next two.”
A total of eight Yukon players were among the 110 who competed at the annual event that saw an age range from seven to 82.
Also representing Yukon was open player Michael Jenssen and juniors Grace-Anne Jenssen, Thomas Moore and the youngest, Ming Feng at age 11.
Many of the juniors represented Yukon at the 2015 Canada Winter Games and could likely compete at the 2016 Arctic Winter Games as well.
“(Feng) is a frontrunner for the juvenile girls division that would be looking to go to the Arctic Winter Games in Nuuk, (Greenland),” said Murphy.
Contact Tom Patrick at
tomp@yukon-news.com