Oceania Junior Championships

The draws are set and the heaters are on for the 2015 Oceania Junior Champs and it looks like there will be some great games to be had.

A strong contingent of Australians and New Zealanders will be competing down in the deep south of New Zealand to see who will be this years 2015 Oceania Junior Champs. With Squash City Invercargill all set for the weekend there is sure to be some top class squash from Oceanias elite juniors.

The Boys Under 19 draw sees Australian Sam Ejtemai seeded at number one closely followed by fellow countryman Solyman Nowrozi and Luke Jones from New Zealand seeded third. Ejtemai will be looking to add another jewel to the crown after having taken out the Australian Junior Open over Easter weekend beating Nowrozi in the final. Jones was also at this tournament however he only managed a fourth place, Jones did however take out the New Zealand Junior Open last weekend so he will be fired up and ready to add another title.

Girls Under 19 sees a strong number of competitors from across the Tasman. Ellie Epke takes first seed and after taking out the NZ Junior Open over the weekend she is sure to have the fire in her belly to take another title. Lakeesha Rarere is second seed in the Under 19 girls, she finished runner up to Epke in the New Zealand Junior Open but managed to take out the Australian Junior Open title the weekend prior. This is sure to be a tough battle if Rarere can get past third seed Abbie Palmer from New Zealand who has just lost out in both encounters over the past 2 weekends.

Boys Under 17 sees Will Curtis from Australia seeded first, he also won the Under 17 draw at the Australian Junior Open and is sure to want to take the title home, however local player Jamie Oakley and youngest son to Past World Number 1 Dame Susan Devoy he is sure to be fighting to get this title. Rafa Yam is seeded third and faced Will Curtis in the finals of the Australian Junior Open, if Yam can get past Oakley then he is sure to be looking to take the title from Curtis.

Girls Under 17 sees Nadia Hubbard of New Zealand seeded first with Lauren Aspinall second and Mackenzie Johnson third seed. All players will be expecting a touch battle over the weekend and Aspinall will be looking to improve on the ninth place finish she got at the Australian junior Open.

Boys Under 15 sees Matthew Lucente of NZ taking the number one spot with Jacob Ford of Australia seeded second. Ford was Runner Up in the Under 15 Australian Junior Open and he is surely going to be looking for that top glory this weekend. Gabe Yam is seeded third and is sure to make life hard for Ford to get to the finals.

Girls Under 15 sees three kiwis taking the top spots. Ruby Turnbull, Anika Jackson and Rhiarne Taiapa take the tops spots respectively and with Turnbull having bought the Australian Junior Open trophy across the ditch she is going to be working hard to keep the Oceania trophy on home soil as well.

The Under 13 Boys sees Elijah Thomas and fellow New Zealander Leo Fatialofa seeded first and second respectively. Thomas took home the runner up position in the Australian Junior Open and has his eyes set on first place. Australians Remi Young and Ethan Stephenson bring up third and fourth spots and are sure to make it tough work for the kiwis finishing fourth and sixth at the Australian Junior Open respectively.

The Under 13 Girls sees kiwis Georgia Fyfe, Ruby Saies and Anna Skerrett taking out the top spots but Laura Maloney of Australia may have something to say about that and will be looking to fight her way to the top to get that trophy for Aussie glory.

Boys Under 11 sees Australian Dylan Classen seeded first but he will have his work cut out for him with second seed Mason Smales of New Zealand looking to try and claim the title with Apa Fatialofa looking to try make it 2 titles for the Fatialofa family seeded third. Classen came third in the Australian Junior Open and he is sure to have learnt how to get to the top spot this weekend.

Girls Under 11 sees Natalie Sayes of New Zealand and recent winner of the Australian Junior Open Under 11's ready to defend her title at an Oceania level. Second seed Erin Classen will make sure it is not an easy path to the title for Sayes. Diana Galloway is third seed and will make sure both of these players have some tough battles over the weekend.

Games start midday at Squash City Invercargill and with the support of Stadium Southland this is sure to be a great weekend of junior squash.

The full draws and times can be found here on the Squash City Website.