Squash shines at Essex Games as Mersea and Felsted take the spoils

Squash played a major role in the recent Essex Games with school teams from Mersea Island and Felsted Preparatory being crowned champions.

Seventeen teams and 70 players battled it out for Year 5 and Year 6 honours on the pristine courts at the Colchester Garrison, home of the Off The Wall Squash Academy who were asked organise the event on behalf of Active Essex.

OTWS’s team of coaches and administrators have helped make squash a vital part of the Essex Games since they were charged with bringing the sport into the competition in 2016. Essex was the first county to add squash to the schools’ programme and it’s great to see others now following our lead. An Active Essex spokesperson said:” The event has been growing each year and this year was the best so far. This could not happen without the skills and dedication of Karen Selby and the Off the Wall Squash team.”

The squash event was split into Year 5 and Year 6 groups and featured many of the young players introduced to squash via schools’ programmes run by coaches and clubs aligned to Essex Junior Squash.

Felsted Preparatory School were pushed all the way to the line in the Year 5 event eventually claiming the crown by only six points from Lawford School. Third place was taken by the team from Mersea Island.

The Year 6 competition was split into two groups with the top two in each going forward to the semi-finals. Mersea Island 1 and St George’s from Great Bromley topped Group One with Ardleigh and Lawford matching them in the second group.

Mersea Island 1, under the watchful eye of coach Sally Meanley who has galvanised squash on the Island, were the dominant team in their semi against Lawford winning 36-5. St George’s overcame Ardeligh 32-22 in their semi-final showdown.

In a final shoot-out, it was Mersea Island who claimed the spoils beating St George’s 36-5 bringing the curtain down on a terrific advert for schools sport and squash in particular.

RESULTS:

Year 5:

1^st: Felsted Prep

2^nd: Lawford

3^rd: Mersea Island

4^th: Brooklands

5^th: Langham

6^th: Elmstead

 

Year 6:

1^st: Mersea Island

2^nd: St George’s (Great Bromley)

3^rd: Ardleigh St Mary’s

4^th: Lawford

5^th: Felsted Prep

6^th: Mersea Island 2

7^th: Tiptree Heath

8^th: Holland Park 1

9^th: Elmstead 1

10^th: Holland Park 3

11^th: Elmstead 2