Club Waimea Squash welcomed teams from Nelson, Marlborough and the West Coast for the 51st Heaphy Shield Challenge, with debutant Tanya Brown making an immediate impact for the home side.
Tanya’s 11-4, 11-2, 11-4 victory over Alyssa Le Suer from Marlborough, ensured the annual event would be decided on match results rather than a games countback.
West Coast took the overall honours with 18 points, one ahead of defending champions Marlborough with Nelson on 13.
It would have been more comfortable for the coast but top masters player Erin Ellery suffered a hamstring injury while convincingly leading her match.
Club Waimea Squash staged the two-day tournament, with each player contesting four matches, and received very positive feedback from the visiting teams.
“We have a fantastic committee here and run a lot of events. The brand-new kitchen and bar was a big hit too,” says club president Sarena Harwood.
Following the prizegiving for the 51st edition of the challenge, the players voted on whether to retain the two-day Friday and Saturday format or revert to three days.
The vote went 19-6 in favour of two days which suited Sarena from a logistical standpoint even though it meant a tougher schedule for players.
As well as running the event, Sarena managed to fit in her four singles matches for Nelson.
“I didn’t start well but made up for it by beating an18-year-old, who I had lost to four or five times this year,” says Sarena.
