Prince Rupert’s squash club hit the road over the weekend, travelling to Smithers to compete in the annual BC Web tournament in the Bulkley Valley Recreation Centre.
The Rupert contingent, made up of Richard Haley, Robyn Bertrand and Lee Beal, placed first, second and fifth respectively in the tournament.
“It was a really good weekend, it went off without a hitch,” said Beal. “The squash community is such a giving community so it’s always great to travel and reconnect with our friends on the road.”
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Haley won the men’s A division finals, going 3-0 and beating Ryan Hill three games to one in the final match. Haley said he was able to win the first two games, which were both closely contested. Hill came back to win the third, and Haley sealed the tournament by winning the fourth.
It is the fourth year in a row that Hayley has won the tournament. He said he was happy to bring home the victory and was complimentary of his opponents play.
“We just wanted to have a good game,” he said. “He’s younger, he’s got all the potential, but I’ve got the experience so it worked for me
Bertrand placed was runner up in the women’s division after going 2-2 and losing to Robynn Hofsynk in three games in the final match. Bertrand, who has been playing squash regularly for the past two years, said she has had a friendly rivalry with Hofsynk in the past few tournaments.
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“We always seem to come out at the top of our pools, and have good competitive games,” she said. “It didn’t go quite as well as I’d like, but it was still fun.”
Beal said he was happy with his fifth place finish, considering he was coming back from a pulled calf and was playing competitively for the first time in weeks. Beal went 2-1 for the tournament.
“I didn’t expect to win a game and I won two out of the three matches,” he said. “So I was more than happy with that.”
The BC Web tournament is the final competition of the squash season in the northwest. Beal said the clubs in Prince Rupert, Smithers and Terrace are hoping to hold four tournaments next year beginning with the annual Rusty Elbow Tournament in Smithers in November.
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