Division 1 Champions, Lawrence Park CI and runners up, CW Jeffreys. More photos below.
150 hyped teenagers from high schools around Ontario competed in our 2024 OFSAA Invitational Jim Mason Cup last week at Toronto’s Mayfair Lakeshore. This is the second year our event, which brings together high school teams across three divisions, was sanctioned by OFSAA. Thank you to TDSSAA’s Lawrence Park CI and Convenor Josh Suteir for acting as our host school for this event.
The roaring cheering of 23 teams could be heard around the club throughout the two full days of game play. This tournament is unique to our typical event calendar because many of the players are brand new to squash, thanks to our “unranked” Emerging Teams Division, which had 13 teams.
Both division one and two teams were comprised of 7 players, with at least 2 females. Division Two is limited to a maximum of two Ontario ranked players, while Division One has no limit on ranked players.
When the dust settled and the noise subsided, Toronto’s Lawrence Park CI claimed gold in Division 1, taking back the trophy for the first time since 2017. The team had a strong roster made up of Ontario ranked players, past and present. Toronto’s CW Jeffreys CI took the silver medal and last years winners, Toronto’s Northern SS claimed third place.
At Division 2, with a mix of ranked and recreational players, Eden High School from St. Catharines came away with the gold, followed by Mississauga’s Streetsville Secondary School. Our host school, Lawrence Park CI also took home the bronze medal in this division.
The competition was fierce in the emerging division—teams of 5 composed entirely of unranked beginners – which featured a whopping 13 entries with squads representing multiple OFSAA regions from Sarnia to Welland.
Long time participants, AN Myer from Niagara Falls, claimed the Emerging Division title with a 3-2 win over Sarnia’s St. Particks CHS. The bronze medal was awarded to Toronto’s Northern SS Team 2 after they beat their fellow schoolmates in the 3/4 playoff.
Thanks to all who participated and embraced Jim Mason’s legacy of “fun, fitness and friendship”.
A special thank you to our sponsors, the Jesters of Ontario, who ensured all players received an amazing player package and experience over the two days. Squash Ontario staff were also supported by many wonderful volunteers throughout the event- Brenda Forbes, Younghee Oh and Cathy Tuckwell.
Wondering how you can get involved in the fun for next season? Reach out to us! If you’re a student, persuade a teacher to get on board now. If you’re a teacher, start chatting with students now. The event will seek OFSAA sanctioning again next year and strives to be bigger and better, so don’t miss out.
For more details on how to get squash started in your school contact: Alison@squashontario.com
