Junior National Titles Too Close to Call

If there were odds being offered on who will win the individual titles at this year's New Zealand Junior Championships, you would do well to leave your money in your pocket.

The premier under 19 boys title is wide open, with Wellington teammates Zac Millar and Jonathan Barnett seeded to meet in the final.  Barnett won the New Zealand Junior Open earlier this year, creating history when he and his sister Rebecca became the first twins to win matching national titles.  However, he faces a stern challenge to add the New Zealand under 19 age group title to his collection from Millar, who will be out to avenge his defeat in the NZ Junior Open final.  Mind you, both players have a tough row to hoe before even making the final, with the remainder of the New Zealand team from this year's Junior Men's World Championships also in the draw.  Eastern's Todd Redman and Bay of Plenty duo Ben Grindrod and James Cooper will all have designs on making the final, as will Midlands star Chris van der Salm who already has a taste for victory after taking out the North Island Championships earlier this year.

The girls event makes even more interesting reading.  Rebecca Barnett is seeded to add the under 19 title to the under 17 and under 13 national crowns she has already collected, but is being challenged by a player more than three years her junior.  Second seeded Aucklander Ellie Epke is eligible to play in the under 15 age group, but has decided to to step up to the under 19s for a shot at the jackpot.  The 14-year-old has enormous talent and is more than capable of giving Barnett a run for her money.

Like Epke, Wellington's Scott Galloway is playing above his age and it speaks volumes of his ability that the 14-year-old is top seed in the under 17 event.  He's seeded to meet Northland's Max Trimble in the final, with Eastern's Chapman Kutia and Jordan Le Comte rounding out the top four.  The under 17 girls event looks set to mimic the under 19s in being an Auckland-Wellington battle.  Auckland's Hayley Hughes is top seed, but Wellington Paris Dalrymple-Mortelman, Aucklander Juee Bhide and Wellington's Sophie O'Connor all have legitimate title claims.

In the under 15 age group Sam Sayes is tipped to pick up the boy's title for Northland ahead of Eastern's Rios Moleta while Auckland's Abbie Palmer should be far too good for her rivals in the girl's event.  If Palmer had followed Ellie Epke's lead she would have been third seed in the under 19 girls based on grading points.

A similar pattern emerges in the under 13s, with Bay of Plenty's Sean Dykes and Aucklander Matthew Galen Lucente expected to battle out the boy's title, while Central's Kaitlyn Watts is a stand out candidate to win the girls.

However, the largest imbalance comes in the under 11 girls event, where top seed Anika Jackson is already graded C1 at the tender age 10 years old, putting her more than 1500 rankings points ahead of her nearest rival.  Normal service resumes in the boys section, with Wellington's Kobe Fleming seeded to beat Bay of Plenty's Glenn Templeton - just over 150 points separates the two on rankings points.

There are more than 220 of the country's up and coming stars taking part in the tournament and the strength of New Zealand squash is evident with 13 A grade players in the mix.

Head to http://www.squashgym.co.nz/ to see draws and playing times.  Please note that all draws and times are subject to change, and all participants should check the draws for currency.