The Racquet Club Year End Tournament Breakdown

The first week of June brings along with it the most underrated week in Yellowknife sports – The Racquet Club’s Year End squash tournament.  The Northwest Territories premier tournament of the year is quickly becoming one of the more talked-about events in Canada, and this year promises to deliver, with well over 100 participants in 13 divisions, nationally ranked visiting pros, the return of karaoke, and the always popular steak-and-lobster dinner on Saturday night.  While I could probably spend a full post talking about the week’s extracurricular events (free sushi on Thursday = WIN), the tournament is, at its core, about squash, and newcomers and veterans, hardcores and casual players alike will be contending to win the crown in various divisions.  What follows is a breakdown of all the divisions in the tournament (except for the junior divisions), and a little prognostication on my part (though I will stay away from picking the winners outright).  Enjoy!  And enjoy the week at the Club (tournament draws are available here):

Ladies D

Historically, ladies D has been more or less a crapshoot when it comes to the Year End – any one of these ladies could potentially win the tournament.  I’ll stay away from picking potential winners because I  haven’t seen any of these ladies play before, however, it is worth noting that there are two contestants from Iqaluit (Bonnie Osbourne and Natasha Stevens) who have likely not played against any of the other contestants in the draw.  Perhaps the lack of scouting will give these ladies the advantage?  Only time will tell.  Last year’s winner Angela Pace has to be given strong consideration for the crown this year as well as she defends her title.

 

Mens D

Men’s D is a little easier for me to speak on, being that four good friends of mine are participating in this division and so I’ve personally played some of the competitors.  As well, four juniors (Madison Hurst, Davis Elkin, Iain Brooks, and James Huvenaars) are participating in Men’s D this year, and one of them, Madison, started off his tournament last night with an impressive three game victory over Mark Siemens.  One thing is certain about Madison: he doesn’t get tired, and being able to draw games out against the older, slower men may give him an advantage as the tournament progresses.  As for the rest of the participants, Bill Maltus and Fritz Griffith certainly have good shots at victory, Obed Duru has historically been a tough out, and Tony Pace proved last year with his victory over potential champ Craig Taggart that he can hang with anyone in the draw.

The Favourite: Craig Taggart

Beginning his tourney by avenging last years’ loss against Tony Pace must have been key for his confidence going forward.  Surprisingly strong cardio, makes reasonable choices with the ball, and dives like a seal.  Sounds like the formula for a Men’s D champ to me.

The Dark Horse:  Harji Sidhu

Got off to a good start last night with an impressive victory.  A very well rounded player for Men’s D, just not as consistent as some of the top contenders; but when he’s on, he can beat anyone in this draw.  A prelim match with Taggart Wednesday night looms large, the winner will likely have a chance to win the division while the loser will be eliminated.

The Sentimental Favourite: Mark Siemens

Former junior star Siemens returns to The Club to finish what he started.  It seems like just yesterday that Mark was competing with last year’s Open champ Chad Hinchey in junior tournaments (quite competitively, I might add), but a long layoff from the game has started him from scratch.  A loss to Hurst yesterday night will be difficult to recover from in a pool format, though.

 

Men’s C

The largest of this year’s divisions with 15 competitors, Men’s C features no shortage of intriguing storylines.  Damien Healy’s quest for Year End glory certainly ranks right up there (word on the street is that if he wins, the occasion will be commemorated with the special edition “Aurora Damialis” racquet), as does last year’s consolation winner Chris Puglia’s shot at redemption, and Ryan Twissell’s attempt to make it two Year End’s in a row (he won men’s D last year).  And, if that weren’t enough, there’s the possibility of a Redshaw/Redshaw matchup, as Walker returns to his old stomping ground to challenge his brother Braden, as well as Joe Cutten’s daring move from special plate runner up in D to becoming a potential contender in C.  Certainly one of the more intriguing divisions, you can be sure that the final in C will have some sort of undertone to it.  What that is, though, is yet to be determined.

The Favourite: Chris Puglia

A perennial contender in C, this year may finally be the time for Puglia to come over the top and take home the division.  Looked impressive last night, winning his first round match against tough junior Dylan Short in four games.

The Dark Horse: Ryan Twissell

Had a difficult time with Walker Redshaw in the first round, a deceptively tough first-round opponent (Walker was one of the Club’s top juniors not too long ago).  Potentially the most solid squash fundamentals in the draw give Twissell an advantage over all the other players in the draw, however, he could, like so many juniors before him, fall victim to the black hole that is “Old Man Squash.”

The Sentimental Favourite: Damien Healy

A recent victory over Club General Manager Kelli Hinchey has Healy riding high, and a tough five-game comeback in his first round match must have him feeling pretty good about his chances.  Not so much a favourite as much as a “what if,” a tournament victory by Healy could mean trash talking like it’s never been seen before.

 

Ladies B

Although there are 9 competitors in the Ladies B draw, the real winner upon closer inspection is Club pro Allan Cook, who has three juniors in competition, a great sign for the girls program as they gear up for their first Canada Games this coming winter.  Other notables include Club Manager Kelli Hinchey and Fitness Co-Ordinator Dana Britton, as well as the only competitor from Whitehorse in the tournament this year in Lara Lewis.

The Favourite: Magali Cormier

Always on the court, Magali certainly has the advantage in the draw as far as practice time goes.  The only thing that may derail her run to the title is a mid-week excursion to Hay River for the Territorial Track Meet, but if she can return from the three day layoff in top form, she should be a tough draw for anyone.

The Dark Horse: Lara Lewis

With the Whitehorse contingent noticeably absent from the Year-End draw this year, the pressure for a strong showing from the Territory to the west falls squarely on Lewis’ shoulders.  Again, it’s difficult to predict how she will finish given her lack of exposure in the NWT, but Whitehorse competitors are notoriously difficult outs in the Year End (sandbaggers?  I kid, I kid.), and Lewis could be a threat to give Whitehorse a division win, even when they skip out on the tournament.  Gah.

The Sentimental Favourite: Sarah Nesbitt

Nesbitt looks to prep for her Canada Games debut with a win at this year’s Year End, and she certainly has the game to do it.  A strong squash base, a cardio advantage, and a tournament opening win are just three advantages Nesbitt takes into the weekend as she attempts to become just the second junior from Yellowknife to breach Ladies A in the last 10 years (at least).

 

Men’s B

This year’s Men’s B draw has a bit of an out-of-town feel to it, as three players from outside Yellowknife will contest for the crown along with 10 YK’ers.  Francois Roussow has to be the clear favourite, as he was the runner-up last year and has the most experience against players at this level out of anyone in the draw (not a dig, just stating the facts).  Personal Trainer Paul Shearme will hope to use his fitness to take him to the top, and last year’s Men’s C winner Jeff McPherson looks to make it two in a row with a win this year.

The Favorite: Francois Roussow

Last year’s runner-up returns to finally win the Men’s B title that’s eluded him for so long, and this year, he has a very real chance to do it.  Consistency is the only thing that’s stopping Roussow from being an A level player, and it’s certainly possible that this is the week it all comes together.

The Dark Horse: Kevin O’Keefe

Deline’s favourite squash player returns again to contest the Year End.  It is very difficult to peg down out-of-towners, but O’Keefe has had some good results at previous Year Ends and could be a tough out.

The Sentimental Favourite: Gary Kamitomo

How can you not root for Kamitomo?  Certainly in the running for sweatiest player of the tournament, Kamitomo continues in his quest to catch his son Travis as he attempts to move up the Racquet Club’s squash ladder.  Lots of matches against Men’s Open standout Travis can’t hurt, either.

 

Ladies A

Ladies A is one of the more intriguing draws in this year’s tournament.  At the top of the draw appears to be a potential showdown between McMaster University Varsity squash player Katie Buck and Vancouver transfer Niki Radziminski, but standing in their way are a host of credible contenders from Yellowknife, including perennial top finishers Charmaine Wilson, Paula Harker, and Catherine Ardiles, as well as Iqaluit’s Aleta Marriott.

The Favourite: Katie Buck

Do you want to bet against a varsity squash player?  I didn’t think so.

 The Dark Horse: Charmaine Wilson

Perennially finishing in the top 5 in Ladies A, Wilson should be there at the end again this year.  A consistent, solid all-round game can be trouble for anyone in any division on the right night.

The Sentimental Favourite: Crystal Saunders

Inuvik’s lone entry in the tournament is the first NWT woman outside of Yellowknife to compete in Ladies A in a very long time.  Saunders is relatively green compared to the majority of her competitors when it comes to top tournament competition and may be a year away, but certainly has the tools and drive to surprise some people this year.

 

Mens A

Perhaps the year-after-year tournament leader when it comes to entertainment value, Men’s A is where the Year End’s intensity level really starts to heat up.  This year’s draw is particularly interesting, as junior Steven Nesbitt attempts to join Travis Kamitomo and Chad and Devin Hinchey in Open with a strong performance, while perennial runner-up Brent Hinchey attempts to finally get over the hump.  Greg Kinloch could also emerge as a strong contender based on his win over Devin Hinchey last year, and Harold Wilson has some experience in Open and certainly has the tools to win it all.

The Favourite: Brent Hinchey

Sorry Steven, and I promise I’m not doing this just because he’s my dad.  Looking at past performances, Hinchey has to be in strong consideration for the victory every year at the Year End, even though it hasn’t happened yet.  You could pencil him into the final based on the fact that he’s gotten there for the last few consecutive years.  The only knock on Hinchey are his injury woes – a long tournament with multiple matches in a short period of time seems to be his downfall year after year.  With a fairly manageable Thursday/Saturday/Sunday sked this time around, this could be the year it finally all comes together.

The Dark Horse: Harold Wilson

He’s won it before, and he can certainly win it again – Harold has spent some time in Open in the past, and although inactivity has brought him back to the A division, he has shown he can win against top competition.

The Sentimental Favourite: Uwe Naeher

A longtime Yellowknifer who recently made the move to Africa, it would be fun to see Uwe win just so The Club could say it had a champion from another continent.

 

Masters Division

The following three “exhibition” divisions are short on competitors but long on talent, and so I won’t be picking winners in them.  The 50+ “Masters” division is always one of the more entertaining watches at the Year End, and this year should be no exception.  Hugh Richardson returns to defend his title, and should be the favourite to do so, but will be challenged by Wayne Nesbitt and Don Bruce, from Prince George.  Dave Macpherson possesses potentially the best hands in the Racquet Club and is an absolute treat to watch as well (plus he makes for some great trash talk).

 

Ladies Exhibition

Debuting this year, the Ladies Exhibition draw features a top-notch collection of Canadian squash talent.  On paper, the favourite to win is clearly Calgary’s Susie King, the number 3 ranked woman in the nation, but she will be tested by Kelsey Souchereau, the number 11 ranked player in Canada.  Juniors Kensie Balch, from Edmonton, who recently finished third at junior nationals, and local standout Pooja Chugh, the recently crowned Sport North athlete of the year, round out the field.  Expect some face paced, incredible squash, the way it is meant to be played.  The spectators are the real winners here, as I encourage everyone to come out and watch some squash at a level you don’t normally get to see north of 60.

Men’s Exhibition

As indicated above, the Exhibition draws are an incredible chance to see some world-class squash in Yellowknife.  The Men’s exhibition draw features returning champ Thomas Brinkman from Prince George, British Columbia, who is currently ranked 13^th in the nation.  Looking to take his crown will be 9^th ranked Matt Serediak from Toronto, who makes his Year End debut.  Rounding out the field are local pro and standout Allan Cook and Jay Giachino, respectively, tournament mainstay Matt Grigg and a local qualifier from the Open division.  Again, the wildly varying levels of play between participants here renders predictions unnecessary, but expect some incredible matches over the weekend that will leave the spectators buzzing.

Men’s Open

The final division in the tournament (as well as the one I will be participating in) is Men’s Open, where 12 participants will vie for the title this year.  The field is more full than usual, and you can expect some great matches, family grudges, and the potential passing of the torch to the young guns.  As I am participating in the tournament, I have chosen not to make predictions, however, view my breakdown of all the participants here.So there you have it!  You are now sufficiently prepped for the squash portion of the Racquet Club Year End Tournament!  I strongly suggest that you come out and check out the action, even if you aren’t playing, as The Club will be buzzing with activity all week.  Check out more information here.See you there!