DRAWS QUICK LINKS: [BU19]  [GU19]  [BU17]  [GU17]  [BU15]  [GU15]  [BU13]  [GU13]  [BU11]  [GU11]

It's time to close the books on another junior squash season. The top players in the country finished of their 2007-2008 campaign today, some becoming first time winners and a couple finishing off their junior careers,

Chris Callis played his last match as a junior in the final of the BU19. For the second consecutive year, Callis met Todd Harrity in the final, and again finished as runner up. The two had a close match, with Callis capturing the first. Long rallies ending with crosscourts and drops highlighted the match, drawing gasps from the crowd of hundreds.

"Todd played well," Callis said. "He outplayed me all year. I was happy to prove to him and myself that I could still win though."

Callis heads to Princeton in the fall.

"I had a good junior career, since I was about 12," he said. "College squash will be a step up. I'm excited about that."

Harrity secured the number one spot on the US Junior Men's team, and had the perfect ending to a spectacular season, in which he also captured the Hunter Lott and Frank Millet.

"Right now it is just more of a relief," Harrity said immediately after the match. "Once it sinks in I'm going to be really happy. I'm glad I kept my focus this week. The last push of the season is always hard."

Before the BU19 final, US Junior Men's Head Coach Martin Heath, announced the squad that will play in the Junior World Championships this summer in Switzerland. Alex Domenick and Harrity are both guaranteed places in the team and individual competition. The other six members will compete in a playoff in six weeks to determine who will play on the team. The squad members are Matt Domenick, Thomas Mattson, Nicholas Sisodia, Clay Blackiston, Adam Perkiomaki and Christopher Hanson.

The road to the BU17 final was packed with surprises, so to no one's surprise, the final was the same way. No. 4 Tyler Smith won the first game against No. 3 seed Danny Greenberg. In the fourth with the match in sight, Greenberg flew back first into the back wall, his elbow leaving blood on the glass. After taking care of his elbow, Greenberg returned and closed out the match 9-1, a score line that does not come close to capturing the sweat that went into every single rally.

Dominant performances were again the story for Olivia Blatchford in the GU19, Amy Smedira in the U15 and fan favorite Chloe Chemtob in the U11. All three completed the tournament without dropping a game. Julie Cerullo nearly won the first against Blatchford, but at 6-8 Blatchford, looking frustrated with herself, calmed down and never looked back.

Amanda Sobhy, who rarely dropped a game this season, looked like she would finish in the GU17 as a runner up to Yarden Odinak of Seattle. After losing the first two games, she tinned at 5-6 in the third. Sobhy retained her composure, hit a dropshot to get to 6 all, and from there took over. She never looked back, winning the fourth 9-3 and the fifth 9-5.

Top seeds Claudia Regio and Olivia Fiechter met for the first time since the semis of the US Junior Open, where Regio won in five. Fiechter has not beaten Regio in two years. She got off to a quick start today, but did not convert her first game ball. Regio took advantage and won 10-9. Fiechter returned for the second looking at it as new match and was calm and focused.

"I know she has a strong volley when she is in front," Fiechter said." I was trying to get my width and length and keep it out of the middle. I felt like I attacked at the right times today and was comfortable with my short game, which I had been working a lot on in the past couple days."

This was Fiechter's fourth year in the GU13, and her first win. She finished third last year.

"I can't believe it," Fiechter said of her win. "I wasn't quite sure if I was in a dream or not as I walked off the court. I've worked so hard for so many years and it's finally paid off with a title."

Fiechter and nine others ended their season with one massive trophy to add to their collections. As the players left the Fairmount Athletic club, talk had already switched from squash to goodbyes that ended with "Have a great baseball season" or "Good luck in tennis." The best of the US will reunite in the fall for the first major tournaments. The string of outstanding performances they put together this weekend is a sure sign of the ever improving level of US Junior Squash.

Junior National Squash Closed Championships 2008

FINALS - RESULTS
(COMPLETE DRAWS: [BU19]  [GU19]  [BU17]  [GU17]  [BU15]  [GU15]  [BU13]  [GU13]  [BU11]  [GU11])
Girls U11 Chloe Chemtob (FLA) def Helen Teegan (WA) 9-7 9-5 9-7
Boys U11 Cheraag Bajwa (MA) def Claude Smith (NJ) 9-1 9-4 9-4
Girsl U 13 Olivia Fiechter (PA) def Claudia Regio (WA) 9-10 9-5 9-5 9-5
Boys U13 Thomas Dembinski (CT) def Mason Ripka (NY) 9-3 9-0 7-9 9-6
Girls U15 Amy Smedira (OH) def Katie Tutrone (MD) 5-9 6-9 9-1 9-1 9-5
Boys U15 Dylan Murray (NY) def Liam McClintock (MA) 9-3 9-7 9-6
Girls U17 Amanda Sobhy (NY) def Yarden Odinak (WA) 3-9 2-9 9-6 9-3 9-5
Boys U17 Tyler Smith (NJ) def Danny Greenberg (PA) 9-2 5-9 9-3 9-1
Girls U19 Olivia Blatchford (NY) def Julie Cerullo (NY) 9-7 9-4 1-9 9-2
Boys U19 Todd Harrity (PA) def Chris Callis (PA) 5-9 9-4 9-6 9-2

US Juniors on day one at the new Fairmount Club . (photo:©2008 Kirsten Carlson)

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