LEE HORTON reports
ENGLAND Squash today released their first set of junior rankings for 2016 and they made happy reading for Essex with a remarkable number of our players featuring in the county’s top 10.
Building on the amazing growth and success of 2015 which saw a record numbers of our players qualifying for England rankings, today’s release is another major filip in our quest to make Essex a major force in the country.
With three of our teams heading for the England Inter-County Championships in a few weeks’ time, confidence will be raised knowing that NINE Essex names can be found in top 10 England ranking positions, including ONE No.1 place and THREE top three spots.
England international and British and English champion Alice Green from Kingswood tops the charts in the girls’ Under-15’s and also takes the No.3 spot in the list of Under-17’s. She is joined in the top 10 by Redbridge’s Elise Lazarus who occupies seventh place.
Ellie Hewes (U-13), Yusuf Sheikh (U-11) and Ollie Green (U-13) complete an astonishing trio of players ranked third in their divisions, testimony to our growing strength in depth. Completing our list of top-tenners is Joel Braddock (8th boys U-13); Renitha Srindran (10th girls’ U-11) and Aaron Allpress (10th boys’ U-17).
Essex Junior Squash Chairman David Harris was a happy man when the rankings were released and commented:” Wow, what a way to start the year. Our players and coaches have worked incredibly hard over the past couple of years and the fruits of that labour are for all to see.
“To see nine Essex names occupying top 10 spots is great. But it is equally gratifying seeing so many other Essex names slightly further down the England rankings. We have strength in depth and that is the true barometer of what we are trying to achieve.”
For a full list of England rankings, click HERE.
ALICE, ELLIE AND ELISE