Larissa Wiltshire last night shocked teammate and top seed Taylor Fernandes to snatch gold in the girls U19 singles as the curtain came down on the Maples Caribbean Area Squash Association junior championships in the Cayman Islands.
Wiltshire, the tournament’s number-two seed, dropped the first game 6/11 but then reeled off the next three games to overcome her nemesis in a tough four setter.
From the get-go it was always a Fernandes/Wiltshire final with Fernandes the odds on favourite after defeating Wiltshire in the final of the Woodpecker sponsored national junior championships in May where she won 11/7, 11/8 and 11/4 and the national junior championships .
Last night, however, it was Wiltshire who prevailed winning the next three games, 11/7, 11/3and 12/10.
Larissa’s brother Shomari had earlier given Guyana its second title of the championships with a straight sets victory in the boysU13 final.
If Larissa’s victory was a tough four-setter, Shomari’s was a stroll in the park.
Watched by his father and coach Garfield Wiltshire a multiple Caribbean squash champion himself, Shomari made light work of Barbados’ Darien Benn in the final winning 11/1, 11/2, 11/3.
The distinction of securing this country’s first individual gold medal went to Paige Fernandes who defeated Darci Reich 11/4, 12/10, 11/2 in the girls U11 final.
Guyana’s Kirsten Gomes had an opportunity to make it two wins on the finals night but lost to Sumairaa Suleman of Barbados 14/12, 11/7, 11/2 in the girls U13 final.
In other results in the boys U11 final, Alex Stewart edged Aiden Parris 3-2, 6/11, 11/8, 12/10, 6/11, 11/5 in the all Barbados affair while in the boys U15 final Khamal Cumberbatch of Barbados defeated Kai Bentick of the OECS 13/11, 11/3, 11/6.
The boys U17 final was won by Shemaine Griffith of Barbados who defeated Jonathan Walker of Jamaica 11/7, 11/6, 11/8 while the girls U15 final went to Meagan Best of Barbados who defeated Jade Pitcairn 11/0, 11/3, 11/0.
Amanda Haywood of Barbados defeated Alexandria Yearwood of Trinidad 11/8, 11/5, 11/4 in the girls U17 final while at press time the boys U19 final between Julian Jervis of the Cayman Islands and Jason Doyle of the OECS was still in progress.
