Few Unexpected Results in USA Closed Jrs.
March 16, 2004 © 2004 by Ron Beck

Lorentzen, Gordon Win in Marqee U19 Events 

Lily Lorentzen, headed for Harvard next year, wins the Jr title on her new home courts. photo © 2004 Debra Tessier.

Christopher Gordon pulled out an exciting win over Gilly Lane last Sunday afternoon to win the boys under 19 USSRA National Closed Championship title in a five-game display of brilliant squash, at the Harvard University Murr Courts in Allston Mass.

The two top seeds breezed through the ranks on their way to this final showdown. Neither Gordon nor Lane had come close to dropping a game.

Top-seed Gordon overpowered Towsend Wells 2,0,1; Patrick Harris 0,3,0; then Chessin Gertlier in the quarterfinals 1,2,1; and then Ed Cerullo in the semis 1,3,3. Lane was just as efficient, beating Billy Brewster in three; Andrew Zimmerman 1,1,1; Frances Johnson in the quarters 0,0,4; and Garnett Booth in the semis 3,0,0.

The gallery behind Harvard University Murr Center's court 1 was packed before the boys spun the racquet. The crowd was rewarded with awesome displays of rapid volley during the warm up that left no doubt that these two players play a brand of squash that is more than a few levels above the rest of the field.

Lane, who is a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania and plays number one on Penn's team, is a gifted athlete who also excelled at soccer and baseball in high school. Gordon, who already has a handful of professional squash tournaments under his belt, is a player who simply defies his junior status.

Like two equally matched boxers feeling each other out in the first round, the first point went long with soft, tight punches up and down both walls.
Gordon eventually won the first game 9-5 and carried his building momentum into the second game, winning it 9-3.

The title seemed to be Gordon's when he got to match ball in the third game at 8-6. But Lane would not go down quietly. With the heart of a lion, Lane roared back to level the score at 8 all. Gordon called two and Lane took them both with a level of squash skill unseen all weekend.

Buoyed by his dramatic come-from-behind win in the third, Lane came out smoking in the fourth to win it by a relatively quick 9-3 score, setting up a showdown fifth game. But Gordon was able to regroup his energies and focus in the fifth, winning it 9-1.

The boys under 17 final also gave the crowd a five-game thriller.

Second-seed Trevor McGuinness prevailed over top-seed Charles Tashjian in a back-and-forth battle. McGuinness opened the bout with a 9-2 win, then gave way to a Tashjian 9-4 win in the second game. Tashjian kept it going in the third, winning a closely fought battle 9-7. But McGuinness, now down 2 games to 1, never had to fight off match point, winning the fourth game 9-2 and the fifth 9-6.

The girls under 19 title went to top-seed and defending champion Lily Lorentzen who defeated third-seed Princeton-bound Casey Riley 1,2,6. The national championship trophy wasn't the only trinket Lorentzen won. She was also awarded the DeVoy trophy for sportsmanship. Lane was awarded the DeVoy award for the boys.

Traveling cross country from the Pacific Northwest, second-seed Kristan Lange won the girls under 17 title without dropping a game. She coasted through the draw and the first two games in the final against fifth-seed Toby Erye, jumping out to a 2 to 0 lead in games. But Erye seemed to gaining confidence as the match wore on. Lange won the first game 9-0, then Erye was able to garner 5 points in the second game. By the third game, Erye was giving Lange all she could handle. The feisty little Merion junior nearly broke Lange's weekend streak of wins, but Lange was strong enough to keep her streak intact with a 10-8 victory for the title.

Final Finishes
Boys 19
Finals: Chris Gordon def Gilly Lane 9-5 9-3 8-10 3-9 9-1
Semi Finals: Gordon def Ed Cerullo 9-1 9-3 9-3; Lane def Garnett Booth 9-3 9-0 9-0
1. Christopher Gordon
2. Gilly Lane
3. Garnnett Booth
4. Ed Cerullo
5. Chessin Gertlier

Boys 17
Finals: Trevor McGuinness def Charles Tashjian 9-2 4-9 7-9 9-2 9-6
Semi Finals: McGuiness def Drew Blacker 9-4 7-9 9-1 8-10 9-1; Tashjian def Travis Judson 9-4 10-9 9-7
1. Trevor McGuinness
2. Charles Tashjian
3. Drew Blacker
4. Travis Judson
5. Mark Froot

Boys 15
Finals: Simon Culver def Chris Callis 9-6 7-9 9-1 9-4
Semi Finals: Culver def Todd Harrity 9-10 9-4 9-7 6-9 9-1; Callis def Stephen Preffer 9-3 10-9 9-1
1. Simon Culver
2. Christopher Callis
3. Stephen Preefer
4. Todd Harrity
5. Mike Maraca

Boys 13
Finals: Tyler Smith def Danny Greenberg 9-4 9-2 9-2
Semi finals: Smith def Alex Kurth 9-3 9-1 9-1; Greenberg def Hunter Abrams 10-8 9-3 9-7
1. Tyler Smith
2. Danny Greenberg
3. Alex Kuth
4. Hunter Abrams

Girls 19
Finals: Lilly Lorentzen def Casey Riley 9-1 9-2 9-6
Semi finals: Lorentzen def Christina Fast 9-5 9-0 9-4; Riley def Neufeld 9-1 9-2 9-6
1. Lily Lorentzen
2. Casey Riley
3. Lena Neufeld
4. Christina Fast
5. Britt Hebden

Girls 17
Finals: Kristen Lange def Topy Eyre 9-0 9-5 10-8
Semi finals: Eyre def Katy Brewster 5-9 1-9 9-3 9-2 9-4; Eyre def Maine 9-1 9-3 9-3
1. Kristan Lange
2. Toby Erye
3. Emery Maine
4. Katy Brewster
5. Alia Aziz

Girls 15
Finals: Emily Park def Julie Cerullo 9-1 9-2 9-2
Semi finals Park def Hannah Conant 9-2 9-7 9-0; Cerullo def Samantha Buechner 5-9 9-7 9-0 9-6
1. Emily Park
2. Julie Cerullo
3. Samantha Buechner
4. Hannah Conant
5. Cece Cortes

Girls 13
Finals: Kathie Ballaine def Olivia Blatchford 9-6 10-9 9-0
Semi finals: Ballaine def Sommer Carroll 8-10 9-0 9-2 9-2; Blatchford def Alexis Saunders 9-1 9-2 9-7
1. Kathie Ballaine
2. Olivia Blatchford
3. Alexis Saunders
4. Sommer Carroll
5. Sarah Mumanchit

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