Squash: Academy produces five A graders

Three of the five A graders from left are Winona-Jo Joyce, Rosemary Mair, and Jena Gregory. Photo/Paul Taylor Today

Quiz Hawke's Bay squash player Winona-Jo Joyce on the key factors involved with her world championship appearance and the word academy pops up fast.

That's the Squash Eastern Junior Academy as well as the academy at her Havelock North club. The 17-year-old is one of five players who have gained A grade status while being coached by Pub Charity funded Squash Eastern Junior Academy coaches Murray Sutherland, Cameron Jamieson, Joel Le Comte and Phil Drummond.

Four of them, Joyce, her Havelock North clubmate Jena Gregory, Hawke's Bay's Rosemary Mair and Hastings Rhiarne Taiapa are all from the Bay. When one takes into account the fact there was a 20-year period when Hawke's Bay didn't have A grade women before Taiapa and Joyce gained A grade status in 2016 it is a phenomenal feat.

"It's really cool to have that many A graders and it is because we have the opportunity to have the extra coaching," Joyce said.

After recording two wins and three losses at last month's junior world championships in Chennai, India Joyce returned home with a world ranking of 50.

"It's got me excited for next year," Joyce said referring to her eligibility for the 2019 junior world championships in Malaysia.

"I know I have to strengthen all aspects of my game but my biggest work on is adding more force to my high back hand return," left hander Joyce added.

On Sunday, Joyce, Gregory, the fifth A grader to come out of the academy, Gisborne's Willz Donnelly, and Hawke's Bay Lawn B1 grader Jess Dean will travel to Australia with the New Zealand Secondary Schools team. She will be the No 1 seed in the senior girls side.

From August 31 to September 2 she will play for the Eastern senior team at their Panmure-hosted nationals and in October she will spearhead the Eastern junior team's assault on their Auckland-hosted nationals.

Mair, 19, has done well to achieve A grade status as cricket is her main sport. She plays for the Central Districts Hinds and earlier this year played for a New Zealand Selection XI against the West Indies.

Mair, who recently left the junior ranks, will turn out for the Eastern senior team in Panmure.

Like Joyce, Taiapa, 17, will represent the Eastern junior and senior teams this year. She returned to squash this year after collecting an Achilles heel injury at last year's junior nationals.

The North Island and South Island under-15 champion, Gregory, 14, will also represent Eastern at junior and senior levels in the coming months. She will have the No 1 role in the New Zealand Secondary Schools junior team across the Tasman this month.

Eastern's junior team captain for the October nationals, Donnelly, will captain the New Zealand Secondary Schools senior boys team this month. The 17-year-old Gisborne High School Old Boys club player will also represent Eastern at the senior team nationals after his return from Australia.

Earlier this season Donnelly finished second in division one of the men's senior nationals.

This is the fourth year the Squash Eastern Junior Academy has been running. Taiapa was an original elite squad member and Joyce an original senior squad member. Gregory was an original junior future stars squad member.

Meanwhile five teams from the Eastern region will play in graded national teams tournaments from September 26-29. Gisborne's Surf City men will play in the B grade nationals at New Plymouth's Kawaroa Park club.

Hawke's Bay men and Havelock North women will be in action at the C grade nationals to be hosted by the Hawke's Bay club. The Hastings E grade men will tackle the Christchurch-hosted nationals and the Hawke's Bay Lawn F grade men the Dunedin-hosted nationals.