The junior committee of the MSRA added a new tournament, the Dana Hall/Cross Courts Junior Gold, Nov. 30 – Dec. 2, 2007. The girls played at Dana Hall School courts and the boys at the Cross Courts Squash and Fitness Center. There were 116 entrants, which for a new tournament, is substantial. Separate forums proved no impediment. Each facility was very comfortable, with well lighted courts, good viewing areas, and plentiful good eats. The hosts at each location made all participants and families comfortable and welcome.

GU 19: Winner, Alli Rubin, ranked 18th nationally, rather easily breezed through matches. In this round robin, only fourteen points were scored against her, mostly by the Finalist, Maura Neal, who also won her matches easily. Thuong Tran finished third, Alice Closmore finished fourth, and Erica Wineland-Thomson finished fifth.

GU17: There were 21 entrants in this division. Many of the are veteran tournament players. In the semis, Corey Schafer (1) faced Serena Fagan (4). Rallies were long and fast paced. Schafer won the first game 10-8. Fagan won the second 10-9. The 3rd game opened with Fagan serving. The 3rd was much like the first two. The score was 9-7, Schafer. Schafer won game 4, 9-1, inexplicably, as often happens in a strenuous match. In the other semi, Dori Rahbar (3), faced Julianne Chu (2). Chu won the first two games, 9-4, 9-7. Despite the scores, Rahbar had shown great resolve, and hadn’t yielded any point easily, and yet the result seemed determined, but apparently not to Rahbar. Patience, waiting for an opening, having somewhat figured out Chu’s style, Rahbar won game three, 9-5. Nobody who knows Rahbar was surprised; her resilience is well known and respected. Game four was much like game three, with Rahbar quietly, effectively trading shots, until an opening presented itself. Rahbar won game four, 9-4. Game five was a tight, grueling game. Neither player showed any sign of physical or mental fatigue. Ultimately, Chu prevailed 9-7. Both semis were hotly contested, with all four players justifiably proud of their effort. Games one and two were fast and strenuous, Chu winning each, 9-7 and 9-8. Games three and four were a different matter. Schafer came out sure and steady, taking games three and four, 9-6, 9-6. Chu reached back into the reserve, winning game five, 9-3. Winner, Chu; Finalist, Schafer. Rahbar bested Fagan 3-0, taking 3rd. Fagan finished 4th. Roxanna Mead won the Consolation, and Trinh Tat won the Plate. This division produced some of the best squash of the tournament, with the seeded players dominating, but some of the other matches showed off players who will be more successful in future tournaments. The entire draw was talented.

GU15: Ariel Posner(1), Winner, dispatched all of her opponents with relative ease, winning each of her matches 3-0. This draw of twenty players presented some surprises, in that unseeded players did so very well. Unseeded Caroline Monrad quietly made her way through the draw, finally losing to Posner in the Finals. We’re sure to see Finalist, Monrad, high in the finish in future tournaments. Jennifer Huynh, who lost to Posner in the semis, took 3rd, and Mikaela Johnson, who lost to Monrad in the semis, finished 4th. Meyha Sud won the Consolation, and Abby Giannuzzi won the Plate. The level of play in this division has vastly improved season to season. That unseeded players won 2nd, 3rd, and 4th demonstrates that as more and more players, yet unseeded in tournaments, practice and improve their games, that this division will have a greater breadth of talent.

GU13: All the matches among the ten players were won 3-0, but that did not accurately reflect the fine level of play in this draw. The superior tactics and strategies show the promise of these youngsters and their physical strength and sklls will develop. Unseeded Haley Connors bested Ngozi Nwaoha (1) in the Quarters, then lost to Hannah McCormack (4) in the semis. McCormack was the Winner of this division. At the other end of the draw, Marina Hartnick (2) easily made her way through the draw, and was Finalist, yielding 3-0 to McCormack in the Finals. Haley Connor finished 3rd and Gloria Nwaoha (3) took 4th. Anarys Calderon won the Plate, and Ngozi Nwaoha(1) won the Consolation.

BU19: Will Sullivan (1) prevailed over Jeremy Wong (4), and Earl Smith (2) bested Matthew Gavris (3) in the semis. Sullivan was the Winner winning 3-0, Earl Smith was Finalist. Wong won 3rd, and Gavris 4th. Rodney Galvao won the Plate and Bilal Mahmood won the Consolation.

BU17: Robert Zindman (1), Winner, met strenuous competition throughout, each match going to four games. Unseeded Conor McClintock was making easy work through his matches, until he was confronted by unseeded Eitezaz Mahmood in the semis. McClintock won in five. The next day, Zindman and McClintock faced each other in the Finals. McClintock won game two, and pushed his opponent in games three and four. In game four, moving to the ball, McClintock tripped and fell hard to the floor. He declined to take an injury timeout, but it was noticeable that he was favoring his left arm. He lost game four, 10-8, then left the court for the hospital where his broken left wrist was casted. Mahmood took 3rd, Yanofsky (1) defaulting. Daryl Soto won the Plate, and Scott DeSantis (4) won the Consolation.

BU15: Liam Quinn (1) breezed through his matches to face Reyn Wagenaar (3) in the Finals. Quinn took games one and two rather easily. Wagenaar pushed back and took game three 9-6, but yielded in game four 9-1. Quinn was Winner and Wagenaar Finalist. Michael Snower (2) and Henry Bell (4) each made it to the semis, and then played for 3rd and 4th, Snower prevailing. Diego Gonzalez won the Plate, and Aneesh Chuttani won the Consolation.

BU 13: Atticus Kelly (1), Winner, won each of his matches 3-0. His opponent in the Finals was unseeded William McBrian, Finalist, who in the Qtrs beat Stephen Monrad (3). Carson Spahr (4) made it to the semis, and then went on to take 3rd place over Peter Satterthwaite, who won 4th. David Pham won the Plate and Stephen Monrad (3) won the Consolation.

Tom Poor and his volunteers, Azi Rahbar and Libby McClintock and Cliff Wenn, club pro at Cross Courts and Nick Lloyd, coach at Dana Hall made sure that the ordinary glitches that often occur in an initial tournament were nowhere to be found. Every match started on time or early. Results were promptly posted on the U S Squash web site. Players and families have little idea how much work goes into preparation and running of a tournament. A well run tournament almost looks effortless, and it’s all done for the benefit of the junior players, without any recognition expected, but a “thanks” from a parent or a player is always appreciated.