When the 2003 Massachusetts Junior Open Squash Championships got under way at Harvard University on January 10 there were 236 players from across North America and Mexico and one Barbadian. The lone Barbadian to make the trip this year was 12-year-old Lodge School Student Cheri-Ann Parris.
Cherie Ann, one of the top local juniors, represented Barbados at the last Junior Caribbean Championships in Jamaica and made an impressive mark at her first North American competition. In the first round match of the Under 13 Girls Open, Parris defeated Margaret Eldred in 3 straight games 9-0; 9-0; 9-0 but went under to the #1 seed Alexandra Van Arkel in her second round match. Van Arkel, a stronger, more experienced competitor never allowed Cherie Ann to settle into a rhythm. This loss placed Cherie Ann in the Consolation section and from there it was straight wins for this rising squash star who defeated Rosemary O’Connor of Michigan 9-1; 9-1; 9-4; Anne Piper of New York 9-2; 9-4; 9-4 and Sarah Loucks of Massachusetts 9-6, 9-4, 9-3 to qualify for the Classic Plate final. In the final she defeated Katherine Giovinazzo of Staten Island 9-2, 9-6, 9-3 to finish in a very creditable fifth place.
This promisng young athlete is not all squash. She recently returned from Trinidad where she was a member of the Barbados Junior Chess team and she is also a talented netball player.
Back at home, Cheri-Ann is already hard in training for the upcoming Ontario Open at the end of March. Following this she will be aiming to take the Under 13 at the Junior Nationals and hoping to travel with the Junior National Team to the Caribbean Championships in July. Good Luck Cherie Ann, and many thanks to all those who helped out with sponsorship!
