Squash: Teenagers from region play big part in NZ squads

Photo / Thinkstock

A quarter of the country's best junior squash players come from Northland, with four teenagers being selected for Squash New Zealand junior squads.

Bream Bay's Abbie Palmer, 17, and Whangarei's Finn Trimble, 15, have been selected for the New Zealand elite junior squad while 15-year-old MacKenzie Johnson and 14-year-old Zoe Dykzeul, both of Whangarei, are in the national junior development squad.

The quartet's selection is significant as only eight players from throughout New Zealand have been selected in each squad.

Palmer and the elite junior girls squad will prepare for the World Junior Teams Championships in Cairo from July 25-August 4 next year, with a team of four players to be selected for the event at a later date.

Last month Palmer won the ASB Northland Secondary Schools Sportswoman of the Year title after winning national under-17 and under-19 titles and representing New Zealand at the Oceania Championships.

Trimble will prepare for the 2016 World Junior Teams Championships - his older brother Max was selected in the New Zealand junior boys team that competed at the World Junior Championships in Namibia earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Whangarei's Dykzeul was one of 11 young Northlanders to be recognised last month by the Kauri Club as being future stars for the region. They were awarded grants to assist with expenses incurred in travelling outside the district to compete.

The junior development squad is comprised of players at under-17 and under-15 level who are likely to be in contention for future World Junior Teams Championships.

All of these squads will have regular weekend training camps in Auckland throughout next year.