Dan Falloon
A pair of Seids headed the Sunset Country Squash Club contingent at the Winnipeg Squash and Racquet Club’s junior tournament on the weekend.
Sixteen-year-old Anniss captured the tournament’s top division after blazing his way to a perfect 4-0 record—knocking off the three best competitors Manitoba had to offer along the way.
Seid’s road included an upset over top-ranked Jake Hooker.
Meanwhile, Seid’s sister, Maryam, 13, took home the novice division crown with three wins and a loss.
Kaitlyn DeGagne, 15, won all three of her matches, including a championship win over teammate Angel McCormack in the final.
Other local players in action included Robert Stevens, Ryan Brady, and Bryson Skirten, who all finished with 1-3 records.
Shawn Brady was shut out of the win column, finishing with three losses.
Coach Bob Tkachuk was pleased with the performance of his juniors, who improved as the tournament went along.
“They kind of started out with cold feet on Friday, but by Sunday they were all playing hard, so I was proud of them,” said Tkachuk.
“The worst thing is travelling that far and having kids stand around, frozen on the squash floor, but that didn’t happen,” he added.
Tkachuk explained playing in the tournament should give his team members an idea of what the competition is like outside of Sunset Country, and should give the elder Seid, DeGagne, and McCormack a better idea of what to expect when they represent Northwestern Ontario at the Ontario Winter Games on March 4-7 in Sudbury.
“Playing these juniors in Winnipeg was a good measuring stick for them,” he stressed.
“They know that the competition is hard, even harder.”
Tkachuk also announced three Sunset Country players were ranked on the Ontario level.
McCormack stands fourth in the girls’ U-13 age group while Anika Alexander sits just behind her in fifth.
Anniss Seid is ranked 19th in the U-17 age group.
Local squashers next will hit the court at the Wes Derksen Squash Open slated Feb. 12-14 at the Memorial Sports Centre.
The tournament is open to both juniors and seniors, with entry forms are available at the Sportsplex.
