Last weekend saw 100 of the best juniors from around the region descend on Northern for the annual Dunlop Newcastle Northern Junior Open sponsored by QS Lawson & Thompson. The event proved to be extremely successful for our own juniors with five winners and five runners up out of the ten events. In the U11 events Northern's young twins Kate and Ava made the girls final for the second year in succession and this year it was kate who ran out a very close 3 - 1 winner. In the boys competition Ethan Brown ( Tynemouth ) beat Jamie Pearman ( Scotland )
Northern had another two finalists at U13 level. Shae Paterson met Florence Griffiths from Scotland and after a titanic five sets she just lost out 11 - 7 in the fifth. Sam Ponente did well to reach the boys final but he had a very strong player in Dan Leech from Cleveland waiting for him in the final and he went down 3 - 0.
No finalists for Northern players in the U15 events but some great squash from Northumbria county player Anabelle Satow who beat Amy Robertshaw in the girls event and Sam Sweeney from Primrose who beat Toby Simpson from Cleveland in two one sided finals.
Another Northern twins final in the U17 boys event with Matthew Thompson gaining revenge for losing to his twin brother John in this season`s county championship final by winning 3 - 1 and then sponsor's daughter Katie Barker won the girls event for the loss of only one game , beating Emily King ( Tynemouth ) in the final
Most of the girls in the U19 event were fresh back from winning the national schools event in Nottingham for Gosforth Academy but it was another Northern player in Lucy Anderson won the final 3 - 1 against Emma Delgaty. Andrew Shipley then finished off proceedings with another win for Northern by beating Harry Little ( Jesmond ) in the final of the U19 Boys.
All in all a fantastic event with t shirts for all entrants and trophies ( supplied by Sport Newcastle ) for all finalists and we raised lots of money for junior development.
