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Repetition is order of day at the Junior National Racquetball ChampionshipsBURLINGTON, ONT. : April 29, 2006. Repetition was the order of the day at the 2006 Canadian Junior National Championships at Cedar Springs Health, Racquet and Sportsclub in Burlington, Ont, as several 2005 National Champions repeated the feat in 2006. Hometown boy, and defending champion in Boys 18 and under, Ryan Smith of Burlington, Ont. defeated Michael Burgess (Brandon, Man.) in the 18 and under final, 15-5, 15-4. Early in game 1 it looked like it could go Burgess's way, as he had the lead at 4-2. But Smith took 28 of the next 33 points. Smith's victory is the fourth consecutive year an Ontario boy has won the 18 and under title. Eric Desrochers (Ancaster, Ont.) won in 2004 and 2003. Sean Barclay (Saskatoon) was also a repeat champion, as he took the Boys 16 and under crown for the second year in a row by defeating Barret Husulak (Saskatoon), 15-3, 15-8, in the final. In boys 14 and under, friends and fellow Edmontonians Kevin Caouette and James Slamko faced off for the championship. They often play each other back in Edmonton with nothing more than pride on the line. But with a national championship at stake, Caouette came out on top, winning 15-9, 15-5. In the girls' divisions, Denise Haynes of Clare, Nova Scotia won two divisions, one of which was a repeat of last year. She played in both 18 and under and 16 and under, which Haynes won in 2005. This year she defeated Christine Richardson (Regina) in 18 and under, 15-8, 15-4, and Frédérique Lambert (Montreal), 15-4, 15-8, in 16 and under. But Lambert is a National Champion, as she won Girls 14 and under, beating Erin Baldwin of Saskatoon in the final, 15-8, 10-15, 11-1. Lambert struggled in game two as Baldwin was using lob serves and lob Z serves to Lambert's forehand, but Lambert adjusted and won the tie-breaker going away. In addition to determining the National Champions, this event is the selection event for the Canadian Junior National Team that will compete at the World Junior Championships in Phoenix, Arizona in December. The team will be named later on Saturday. One hundred and sixty two players from all 10 provinces competed in singles and doubles categories from ages 8 and under to 18 and under. The competition concluded Saturday. Champions and Finalists at the Junior National Racquetball ChampionshipsBURLINGTON, ONT. : April 28, 2006. There were all new champions in doubles at the 2006 Canadian Junior National Championships at Cedar Springs Health, Racquet and Sportsclub in Burlington, Ont. The Boys 16 and under final had three of the four players from last year's 14 and under final, when Saskatoon boys Devyn Leibel and Barret Husulak beat Sebastian Boissonneault (Burnaby, BC) and Tanner Mattson (North Vancouver, BC). But this year, Boissonneault was victorious by teaming up with Kevin Gauthier of Surrey, BC, and defeating Leibel and Husulak, 15-11, 4-15, 11-5. The Boys 14 and under champions are Pedro Castro (Brossard, Que.) and Samuel Murray (Baie Comeau, Que.). They beat the Edmonton pair of Kevin Caouette and James Slamko, 9-15, 15-8, 11-6. This year Michael Burgess (Brandon, Man.) and Scott Campbell (Brandon, Man.) got it right, as they won Boys 18 and under championship final after losing last year's final. They beat Mathieu Messier (Masouche, Que.) and Tommy Murray (Baie Comeau, Que.), 16-14, 15-6. In girls' doubles, it was an all Quebec final in the 18 and under division. Claudia Courcy (Rock Forest, Que.) and Lysa-Ann Landreville (Rock Forest, Que.) defeated Stéphanie Beaudoin (Rock Forest, Que.) and Andréanne Chartier (Rock Forest, Que.), 15-3, 15-8. The Sasktoon team of Erin Baldwin and Kylie Krieger defeated Mélissa Beaudoin (Rock Forest, Que.) and Marika Landreville (Rock Forest, Que.), 15-10, 15-8 in to win the Girls 16 and under championship. This is an improvement over last year, when Baldwin and Krieger were second in 14 and under doubles. Four Ontario girls played off in the 12 and under final. The winners were Brittany Nelson (Windsor) and Alexa Kuczynski (Brampton, Ont.), who defeated Alison Davies (Etobicoke, Ont.) and Stephanie Rodrigues (Etobicoke, Ont.), 15-1, 15-2. It was also semi-final day in boys singles. The rule of the day seemed to be players from the same province win, as two of the three older boys' divisions will have finalists from the same province. It could have been three for three, but Ryan Smith, Burlington, Ont., the defending Boys 18 and under champion was not to be deined another chance for the title. Smith beat Manitoban Scott Campbell (Brandon, Man.) in one semi-final, 15-8, 15-7, which means the final will be an Ontario-Manitoba battle rather than an all Manitoba one. Michael Burgess (Brandon, Man.) will have a chance to do the double, by winning both singles and doubles in the same year. He's the number 1 seed in 18 and under singles and reached the final by beating Josh Keil of Saskatoon in the other semi-final, 16-14, 15-7. Later in the day, Burgess and Campbell won the doubles championship. The Boys 16 and under and 14 and under are going to be all Saskatchewan and all Alberta finals, respectively. In 16 and under, number 1 seed Sean Barclay (Saskatoon) defeated Sebastien Boissonneault (Burnaby, BC), 15-9, 15-8, in one semi-final, while Barret Husulak (Saskatoon) beat Mathieu Messier (Masouche, Que.), 15-8, 14-16, 11-3, in the other. The 14 and under final will not only be an all Alberta affair, but an all Edmonton one, as doubles partners Kevin Caouette and James Slamko will face off for the title. In the semi-finals, Slamko defeated Paul Boechler (Prince Albert, Sask.), 15-9, 15-12, and Caouette beat Logan Hordyski (St. Albert, Alta.), 15-7, 15-12. The girls' semi-finals were Thursday. In addition to determining the National Champions, this event is the selection event for the Canadian Junior National Team that will compete at the World Junior Championships in Phoenix, Arizona in December. One hundred and sixty two players from all 10 provinces will be competing in singles and doubles categories from ages 8 and under to 18 and under. The competition concludes on Saturday when the finals for all divisions will be played. Junior National Racquetball Championships - Day 3 ResultsBURLINGTON, ONT. : April 27, 2006. Defending champion and hometown boy, Ryan Smith of Burlington continued on his quest to repeat as Boys 18 and under Canadian Champion on Thursday at the 2006 Junior National Racquetball Championships at the Cedar Springs Racquet Club in Burlington, Ontario, as he defeated Marcel Haynes of Clare, Nova Scotia, 15-1, 15-8, in the quarter finals. Smith will face third seed Scott Campbell of Brandon, Man. in the semi-finals on Friday. Campbell defeated Graham Richardson of Regina, 15-13, 15-4, in the quarters on Thursday. The other top seeds also made it to the semi-finals in Boys 18 and under. Number 1 seed Michael Burgess (Brandon, Man.) easily advanced by beating Mike Vogan of Calgary, 15-1, 15-1. But in a minor upset, Josh Keil of Saskatoon, the fifth seed, defeated fourth seeded Tommy Murray of Baie Comeau, Que., 15-4, 12-15, 11-2. The top seeds also advanced in the Boys 16 and under division, but in the Boys 14 and under division, upsets were the order of the day, as the number one, two and three seeds all lost. Paul Boechler of Prince Albert, Sask., took out number 1 Samuel Chagnon, Rock Forest, Que., 15-10, 15-11, while Kevin Caouette of Edmonton defeated the number 2 seed Pedro Castro of Brossard, Que., 8-15, 15-12, 11-9 and Logan Hordyski of Saskatoon took out number 3 seed, David Gervais of Rock Forest, Que., 16-18, 15-4, 11-9. In Girls action, the big winners of the day were Denise Haynes of Clare, Nova Scotia and Frédérique Lambert of Montreal, who both won twice in Thursday's semi-final matches. Haynes is the top seed in both Girls 16 and under and 18 and under. She defeated Marika Landreville (Rock Forest, Que.), 15-4, 15-0, in 16 and under, and Claudia Courcy (Rock Forest, Que.), 15-6, 15-8, in 18 and under. Lambert face Haynes in the 16 and under final, as she beat Christine Richardson of Regina, 15-11, 15-9 in the semi-final. Lambert will also play in the 14 and under final, as she beat Kylie Krieger of Saskatoon, 15-1, 15-4 in the semi-final. Lambert's the number 1 seed in 14 and under, and she'll face third seed Erin Baldwin of Saskatoon in the 14 and under final, as Baldwin upset second seed Brigitte Richard of Montreal, 8-15, 15-4, 11-7. Richardson will be Haynes's opponent in the 18 and under final, as she defeated Lysa-Ann Landreville of Rock Forest, Que., 15-9, 15-4, in the semi-finals, which was an upset victory as Richardson was the third seed and Landreville the second seed. In addition to determining the National Champions, this event is the selection event for the Canadian Junior National Team that will compete at the World Junior Championships in Phoenix, Arizona in December. One hundred and sixty two players from all 10 provinces will be competing in singles and doubles categories from ages 8 and under to 18 and under. Competition began Tuesday and runs until Saturday. The boys semi-finals of will be on Friday and the boy's and girl's finals will go Saturday, when the 2006 Canadian Junior National Championships conclude at the Cedar Springs Health, Racquet and Sportsclub in Burlington, Ont. Results according to form at the Junior National Racquetball ChampionshipsBURLINGTON, ONT. : April 26, 2006. It was quarter finals day for the girls and Round of 16 day for the boys Wednesday at the 2006 Junior National Racquetball Championships at the Cedar Springs Heath, Racquet and Sportsclub in Burlington, Ontario, and the results were generally according to form. The biggest winners were on the girls side, as some girls are playing two age divisions. Denise Haynes of Clare, Nova Scotia is the top seed in both the 16 and under and 18 and under divisions. On Wednesday, she beat Amy Wilson (Prince George, BC), 15-1, 15-1, in 16 and under and Kelsey Arnold (Burlington, Ont.), 15-2, 15-3 in 18 and under. Frédérique Lambert of Montreal is the top seed in 14 and under and second seed in 16 and under. Wednesday she beat Abigail Leung (Vancouver), 15-1, 15-2 in 14 and under and Kelsey Arnold (Burlington, Ont.), 15-3, 15-4 in 16 and under. But in Thursday's semi-final, Lambert will face 2005 World Junior Champion Christine Richardson of Regina. Richardson won girls 14 and under at World Juniors last December. She is also playing two divisions and both both her matches on Wednesday defeating Stephanie Beaudoin (Rock Forest, Que.), 15-5, 15-2, in 16 and under and Leah Blair (Calgary), 15-2, 15-2, in 18 and under. In boys action, Ryan Smith of Burlington, Ont., the hometown favorite and defending champion in 18 and under, easily won his Round of 16 match on Wednesday defeating fellow Ontario player, Eric Johnston of Oakville, Ont., 15-1, 15-2. Smith is the second seed in 18 and under this year. Michael Burgess of Brandon, Man. is the top seed and he also easily won his match on Wednesday, defeating Jonathan Walsh (St. John's, NL), 15-6, 15-4. In addition to determining the National Champions, this event is the selection event for the Canadian Junior National Team that will compete at the World Junior Championships in Phoenix, Arizona in December. Twelve players will be selected for the Junior National Team. Two boys and two girls will be selected for each of the 14, 16 and 18 and under age categories. One hundred and sixty two players from all 10 provinces are competing in singles and doubles categories from ages 8 and under to 18 and under. Competition continues through Saturday. Junior National Racquetball Championships - Day 1 ResultsBURLINGTON, ONT. : April 25, 2006. Players started to sort themselves out on Tuesday at the 2006 Junior National Racquetball Championships at the Cedar Springs Racquet Club in Burlington, Ontario. Several top seeds had byes on Tuesday, as lower seeded players battled for the right to face the top players. Many games were lopsided as the early rounds featured players of widely varying experiences even within the same age group. However, all matches are important as there is a team competition as well as the individual competitions. Saskatchewan has won the team competition every year for over a decade. However, this year they have the third largest team with 20 players, which is fewer than Ontario's 44 and Quebec's 25. In addition to determining the National Champions, this event is the selection event for the Canadian Junior National Team that will compete at the World Junior Championships in Phoenix, Arizona in December. One hundred and sixty two players from all 10 provinces will be competing in singles and doubles categories from ages 8 and under to 18 and under. Competition began Tuesday and runs until Saturday. Junior National Racquetball ChampionshipsBURLINGTON, ONT. : April 24, 2006. The opening ceremonies were held Monday for the 2006 Junior National Racquetball Championships at the Cedar Springs Racquet Club in Burlington, Ont. One hundred and sixty two players from all 10 provinces will be competing in singles and doubles categories from ages 8 and under to 18 and under. Competition begins Tuesday and runs until Saturday. In addition to determining the National Champions, this event is the selection event for the Canadian Junior National Team that will compete at the World Junior Championships in Phoenix, Arizona in December. There are interesting draws in both boys and girls 18 and under divisions. Hometown boy, Ryan Smith of Burlington, Ont., is the defending champion in 18 and under, but he's not the top seed. Michael Burgess of Brandon, Man., is the top seed based on his great performance at the National Team Selection Event in February. Furthermore, Smith as the second seed may have to play Burgess's fellow Manitoban, Scott Campbell (Brandon, Man.) in the semi-finals. Campbell's game has improved considerably in the past year, such that he is ranked number 30 in Canada. On the girl's side, this is the first year since 1996 that Brandi Jacobson Prentice is at Junior Nationals as a reigning national champion. Jacobson Prentice is the most successful junior Canadian racquetball player ever. She won the 18 and under girls title for five straight years from 2001 to 2005, but is no longer a junior player. The heir apparent is Denise Haynes of Clare, Nova Scotia. She is the defending champion in 16 and under, and was runner-up in 18 and under last year to Jacobson Prentice. Haynes will again play in both those divisions this year. However, another strong contender to win both girl's 16 and 18 and under is Christine Richardson of Regina, Sask. Richardson won the Junior World Championship in girl's 14 and under in December. But she'll be in tough to earn a spot on this year's team, as she is the third seed in 16 and 18 and under divisions. Thus, there should be exciting matches going on all week in Burlington. |
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