Both SA Schools Closed Squash Champs u19 winners from Hoërskool Zwartkop

The SA Schools Closed Squash Championhips u19 finalists: Devan Osborne, Luhann Groenewald, Chanté Leppan and Elzandri Janse van Rensburg.
The SA Schools Closed Squash Championhips u19 finalists: Devan Osborne, Luhann Groenewald, Chanté Leppan and Elzandri Janse van Rensburg.

The top seeds, who had made it through to the finals of the three age groups at the South African Schools Closed Squash Championships in Johannesburg on Sunday, showed why they were the top seeds, with each of them winning. It was only in the boys’ u16 event that the pattern was broken.

Luhann Groenewald was crowned the boys’ u19 champion, and he did it in style, beating Devon Osborne, the third seed, 3-0 in the title decider to complete the event without dropping a game.

He had been a hot favourite ahead of the Championships after lifting the Bloemfontein Junior Open title early in March, where the u19 division also included players who are no longer in school.

Groenewald’s Hoërskool Zwartkop schoolmate and girls’ u19 top seed, Chanté Leppan, matched him by outplaying Midstream College‘s Elzandri Janse van Rensburg 3-0 in an all-Northerns final.

However, Leppan narrowly missed out on a perfect record, after dropping one game against Bianke Pienaar on Saturday.

The boys’ u16 competition proved to be the most unpredictable of the six being contested. On day two, top seed Benji Newman was ousted by Christian Swanepoel. Then, second seed Joel Rix barely escaped Joseph Feast, but he eventually gritted his way to a 3-2 win, taking it 14-12 in the fifth.

On Sunday, matters were less nerve-wracking as Rix, having recovered from his marathon match, grabbed the title with a 3-1 win over Swanepoel.

Makayla Naidoo justified being the number one seed in the girls’ u16 age group by posting a 3-1 win over Brianna Robinson in the final.

The u16 finalists: Brianna Robinson, Makayla Naidoo, Joel Rix and Christian Swanepoel.
The u16 finalists: Brianna Robinson, Makayla Naidoo, Joel Rix and Christian Swanepoel.

The result was similar in the boys’ u14 gold medal match. In a one versus two battle, top seed Déwan Borstlap overcame Daniel Tarr 3-1.

It was, however, very tight in the girls’ u14 age group, which featured just eight invited players competing in two pools, with points being accumulated in each of the matches they contested.

Rylee Howells, the top seed, had suffered an upset loss to fourth seed Lily Strydom on Saturday, but she clawed her way to the title, and added another to the long list won by Epworth girls, by edging out Gemma Clarke 3-2.

That result left both players on seven points, but Howells took the crown on a points’ count.

The top performers in the u14 age group: Daniel Tarr, Déwan Borstlap, Gemma Clarke and Rylee Howells.
The top performers in the u14 age group: Daniel Tarr, Déwan Borstlap, Gemma Clarke and Rylee Howells.

RESULTS

Boys’ u19
Luhann Groenwald beat Devon Osborne 3-0.

Girls’ u19
Chanté Leppan beat Elzandri Janse van Rensburg 3-0

Boys’ u16
Joel Rix beat Christian Swanepoel 3-1

Girls’ u16
Makayla Naidoo beat Brianna Robinson 3-1

Boys’ u14
Déwan Borstlap beat Daniel Tarr 3-1

Girls’ u14
Rylee Howells won on points’ count after she and Gemma Clarke finished on seven points.

A product of Clifton (Nottingham Road) and St Andrew’s School (Bloemfontein), Brad Morgan played schools’ provincial cricket and hockey. He has worked in radio, online and for newspapers. He also previously handled media matters for the Natal Canoe Club, which hosts the Dusi Canoe Marathon, and for the Midmar Mile. Brad has, furthermore, co-authored books on the Dusi Canoe Marathon and the Comrades Marathon. He holds no particular biases towards South African sports teams but, beyond South Africa’s borders, is a big fan of the Green Bay Packers and Liverpool FC. Brad enjoys photography and music, and likes working to some good dub techno in the background.