By VINO
BVI junior squash players Darci Reich (front right) and her brother Luka Reich were part of the OECS team for the 2016 Caribbean Amateur Squash Association (CASA) Junior Championships
The Caribbean Amateur Squash Association (CASA) Junior Championships closed out on Saturday July 24, 2016 in the Cayman Islands with local players Darci Reich finishing second in the U11’s bracket and brother Luka sixth in U13’s.
On what was the third day of the MAPLES Caribbean Junior Champs at South Sound Squash Club the individual titles were decided, and it was a great day for Barbados as they won six, and a good day for the seeding committee as all but one of the top seeds duly claimed the titles.
The day started with Guyana’s Paige Fernandes becoming the first-ever Caribbean U11 champion, after she beat Darci Reich 3-0 in the Final and she was joined by Alex Stewart, who won an entertaining five-game all-Barbados Boys’ final.
Reich was making her debut at this level having won the OECS Championship earlier this year and, having reached the final, went down 11-4, 12-10, 11-2.
Barbados took the Girls’ U13, U15 and U17 titles as Sumairaa Suleman, Meagan Best and Amanda Heywood all retained the titles they won last year with three-nil victories. For Page it was a fourth CASA junior title in a row, a fourth for Haywood too, but not consecutive.
It was the defending champions Guyana who took the Boys’ U13, U15 and U17 titles too as Shomari Wiltshire, Khamal Cumberbatch and Shermane Griffith all won in straight games. For Cumberbatch it was a fourth title in a row and a third for Griffith.
Luca Reich finished 6th overall in his first CASA Tournament and is the current OECS Champion at U13. He was knocked out in the quarter final stage by Darien Benn of Barbados, 11-3, 11-6 and 11-7.
First place was a repeat of last year’s Girls’ Final as Barbados aimed to retain the title they won against Guyana, who had won the previous nine editions.
Girls’ Final:
Barbados 3-2 Guyana
1st/2nd
U13: Sumairaa Suleman 3-0 Aboside Cadogan 11/9, 12/10, 11/3
U15: Meagan Best 3-0 Makeda Harding 11/2, 11/1, 11/2
U19: Chelsie Samuel 0-3 Taylor Fernandes 3/11, 4/11, 6/11
U17: Amanda Haywood 3-0 Rebecca Low 11/4, 11/2, 11/1
U19: Jada Smith-Padmore 0-3 Larissa Wiltshire 4/11, 4/11, 3/11
3rd/4th: T&T 3-2 Jamaica
5th/6th: Cayman 4-1 Bermuda
Boys’ Final: Guyana 3-2 Cayman
1st/2nd
U13: Shomari Wiltshire 3-0 Jace Jervis 11/5, 11/6, 11/1
U15: Daniel Islam 3-1 David Pitcairn 11/6, 8/11, 11/7, 11/6
U19: Benjamin Mekdeci 0-3 Julian Jervis 1/11, 1/11, 2/11
U17: Alex Cheeks 3-1 Jasun Sairsingh 11/8, 11/3, 9/11, 11/8
U19: Rithew Saywack 2-3 Isiah Robinson 12/10 in the fifth!
3rd/4th: Barbados 4-1 OECS
5th/6th: T&T 3-2 Jamaica
The overall team title went to Guyana, with Barbados in second and Cayman in third.
