The final installment of the Black Knight Player of Month program saw the very best saved for last from Squash Ontario athletes. A flurry of events finished off an extremely successful season on the courts, proudly returning Ontario to prominence on the national scene. With thanks to Fred Reid and Allan Sklar at Black Knight as the official sponsor of the Squash Ontario Rankings and the BK Player of the Month, we have enjoyed celebrating our very best performances of the season with the squash community. Together, we are proud to introduce the final 2016-17 BK Players of the Month as Stephanie Hewitt, Scott Dulmage, Salma Mounir, and Nikhil Ismail.
What didn’t The Toronto Cricket Club’s Stephanie Hewitt accomplish this past national championship season? In just over a month, Hewitt added to her growing legend by capturing the elusive Squash Canada triple crown winning the Canadian Open Doubles Championship, Canadian Open Mixed Doubles Championship and wrapped it up with the Canadian 45+ Women’s Singles Championship. Stephanie continues to be one of the top doubles players in the world and proved she also knows a thing or two about softball singles – congratulations on the triple crown! Runner-up this period goes to Oakville’s Hollie Naughton for her second consecutive Canadian Senior Women’s Championship and highest world ranking of #38 on the PSA tour. Honorable mentions go to the dozens of national champions from Ontario including multiple title winners Heather MacLean (W55+ singles and Mixed 50+ doubles), Jann Taylor (W55+ and Mixed 55+ doubles), Lolly Gillen (W60+ and Mixed 60+ doubles), and Diana Roper (W60+ singles, US 60+ finalist).
Male player of the month also goes to another legendary Squash Ontario figure, as Scott Dulmage of the Granite Club continues to rack up multiple provincial and national championships. Dulmage’s latest run included 3 major titles; the Canadian 40+ and US 45+ doubles with partner Richard Thomson and the Canadian 40+ Mixed with Margo Dewsnap. Dulmage and Thomson who have won 7 of the past 10 Ontario Open Doubles Championships are rewriting the record books; Scott’s impressive run to close out the 2016-17 season makes him a deserving BK player of the month. Runners-up goes to the ageless wonder Norm Lee who won both the US and Canadian (with partner Ed Bracht) 80+ Doubles Championship and 2017 Canadian National Men Singles Champion Nick Sachvie of St. Catharines. Honorable mentions go to Sudbury’s Mike McCue for his surprise finalist finish at senior nationals and Canadian champions Trent Haase (M50+), Willie Hosey (M55+), Mario Raponi (M65+), Robin Clarke/Scott Arnold (Men’s Open doubles), Paul Deratnay/Taylor Fawcett (M50+ doubles), Fred Reid and Al Hunt (M55+ doubles), Sean McDonough (M60+ doubles), John Boynton and Tim Griffin (M65+ doubles) and Dave Potter and Chris Wheeler (M70+ doubles).
Our BK Junior Female athlete of the month is newly crowned GU13 national champion Salma Mounir from the Ontario Racquet Club in Oakville. At only 12 years old, Salma has already been one of Ontario’s top juniors for 4 years and entered her name in the history books with the first of what could be many Canadian titles. In addition, Mounir opened March by going undefeated on the gold medal winning Western Regional squad in the Ontario Regional Junior Team Championships and started April by capturing the Robert Harder Ontario Junior Open GU13 title. Runner-up was awarded to Charlotte Orcutt who captured the U17 girls national crown and honorable mentions go to Harrow Jesters Ontario Silver Champions Keira Rawlins (GU13) and Ariel McCuaig (GU15) as well as Grand Prix Finale Champion Ashley Hall (GU13), whom all came through the draws as ¾ seeds.
BK Junior Male athlete of the month goes to U15 superstar Nikhil Ismail who also completed the OJO/CJC double by winning two major titles in less than a month, highlighted by capturing his second national championship in Vancouver in April. Ismail capped off an impressive overall season by adding fitness and discipline to his already exciting and creative playing style and is certainly one of Squash Ontario’s bright lights of the future. Runner-up for this month is awarded to a trio of past recipients who continue to be leaders in our sport: George Crowne (BU17 CJC champion, OJO finalist), James Flynn (BU17 OJO champion, CJC finalist) and Alexander Yuzpe (BU13 OJO champion, CJC finalist). Honorable mention goes to Kent Rawlins, Squash Ontario’s first ever U9 Grand Prix finale champion, and Carl-Edmund Roux who won both the U11 Ontario Silver Champs and the U13 Grand Prix Finale title.
Congratulations to all our Ontario athletes who represented the province with pride this season and thank you to Black Knight for their ongoing support. Have a wonderful summer and see you in the Fall of 2017!