Aria Bannister wins the girls' under 13 South Island age group trophy, a first in decades for a Whanganui Squash Club junior.
Aria Bannister wins the girls' under 13 South Island age group trophy, a first in decades for a Whanganui Squash Club junior.
Youthful Whanganui athlete Aria Bannister has won the Under-13 title at the South Island Junior Age Group Squash Championships in Christchurch.
The 11-year-old was the sole Whanganui Squash Club player to venture south at the weekend, a phenomenal effort in her first year in the age group division and justa week after she finished fourth at the North Island Junior Champs in Havelock North. The final in Christchurch was played against 12-year-old number one seed, C1 graded player Mackenzie Tait of the Red Star Club in Masterton, an opponent Bannister lost to in the third and fourth playoff three sets to one a week earlier. Bannister, graded C2, turned the result around to take the prestigious title three sets to nil not losing one game over the weekend against the other Canterbury and Auckland opponents.
The title is the first by a Whanganui Squash Club junior for many decades. Whanganui was well represented at the North Island Age Group champs with Bannister and siblings Thor and Ethan Darlington playing in their respective age groups. Bannister moves into this weekend contesting the Manawatu Swim Championships followed by representing the Whanganui Squash Club C grade senior ladies team at the District Superchamp's teams event in Inglewood. The club also has C grade men, D grade ladies and E grade men striving to win their respective grades in order to qualify for the National Superchamp finals.
