The Masterton B-Grade team who qualified for the national SuperChamps. Malcolm Wyeth, left, Hunter Wyeth, Ben Steventon, Mark Steventon, Brad Goldsworthy, and Steve Gray. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
SQUASH
CHRIS COGDALE
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Masterton have qualified for the men’s B-Grade National SuperChamps for the second consecutive year – this time on a countback.
Masterton were one of three teams to score four wins from their five round-robin matches at the Wellington District SuperChamps held at the Thorndon club.
Having beaten Island Bay, and Thorndon, Masterton lost to Kapiti in the third round, before victories over Tawa, and Hutt City.
The defeat of Tawa turned out to be the vital result. Kapiti’s win over Masterton, and Tawa’s win over Kapiti were both 3-2 scorelines, making Masterton’s 4-1 score over Tawa the decisive factor in the countback.
The Masterton team are a mixture of youth and experience, and it was two of the younger players who shone at Thorndon.
Rathkeale student Hunter Wyeth, playing at No 3, and Wairarapa College’s Mark Steventon, at No 4, were unbeaten over the three days of competition.
The rest of the team were Brad Goldsworthy at No 1, veteran Malcolm Wyeth at No 2, and Steve Gray and Ben Steventon alternating at No 5
Although Masterton qualified for last year’s National SuperChamps in Whakatane, they were unable to compete because of work commitments.
But with this year’s championships being held in Palmerston North next month, the team expect to compete there.
However, they will be without Hunter Wyeth, who has a bad knee injury. His replacement is veteran Matt Spooner, who was unavailable for the district playoffs.
The Red Star C-Grade women’s team also qualified for the National SuperChamps, after coming out on top of the district elimination series at Upper Hutt.
The team of Deanna Forsyth, Olivia Bailey-Rotman, veteran Libby Paterson, Storm McKenna, Kyra Wyeth, Annissa Greenlees, and Ella Southey had four wins from their five fixtures.
Their wins were over Thorndon, Khandallah, Mana, and Island Bay, while their only loss came against Hutt City.
Red Star will contest the National SuperChamps in Hawke’s Bay next month.
Another Red Star player is also off to the nationals. Jannah Wyeth played at No 4 in the Kapiti team who won the women’s B-Grade SuperChamps district eliminations at Thorndon.
In other results from the district eliminations, Masterton were sixth in the women’s B-Grade, Martinborough were runners-up in the men’s E-Grade, and Martinborough fourth in the women’s D-Grade.
