The Hawke's Bay Lawn D grade women. Vanessa Irwin (left), Dymphi Van de Linden, Ally Harding, Shelly Te Uki (manager), Sam Harding, Mike Willis (coach), Jessica Dean, Charlotte Lewis and Abby Conza.
The Hawke's Bay Lawn D grade women. Vanessa Irwin (left), Dymphi Van de Linden, Ally Harding, Shelly Te Uki (manager), Sam Harding, Mike Willis (coach), Jessica Dean, Charlotte Lewis and Abby Conza.
Hawke's Bay female teams had the biggest chunk of the bragging rights as Squash Eastern won the top district award in the national Superchamps which ended at the weekend.
Hawke's Bay Lawn's D grade women won their nationals in Cromwell, the Havelock North E grade women were victorious in Mastertonand the Hawke's Bay club's F grade women triumphed at the Hoon Hay club in Christchurch. This was the best haul of national titles in Squash Eastern's 13-year history since the Onekawa-based Hawke's Bay club won the top club award in 2004 with four national titles.
The Hawke's Bay club's F grade women who won their nationals in Christchurch.
"When you consider the bigger Auckland and Central districts were the next best with two national titles each, it was a tremendous feat," Squash Eastern administrator Jacquie Sutherland said after the tallies were confirmed last night.
Three generations of one Bay family were involved in the success. Mike Willis coached the Hawke's Bay Lawn club's D grade women's team which won all their five matches. His daughter Tegen played for the Hawke's Bay F grade women and his wife Tania for the Hawke's Bay C grade women who finished second in Taumarunui.
The Havelock North E grade women who won their nationals in Masterton.
Tegen's grandfather Colin Hayvice coached the C grade women.
The fact the Havelock North E grade women's team's main coach, Murray Sutherland, was unavailable for the nationals added more significance to their feat. Rewi Joyce coached the side which included one of his daughters Rakairoa.
Another daughter, Winona-Jo, was in the Hastings B grade team which was third at their Auckland-hosted nationals.
Last month Winona-Jo was unbeaten in singles and doubles as the New Zealand Secondary Schools junior team thrashed Australia 27-3 and also during three days of singles and doubles play against the Queensland and New South Wales state teams in Sydney.
