Zwartkop defends boys’ Top Schools squash title, Clarendon bags sixth girls’ crown
Hoërskool Zwartkop captured the boys’ title for a second year in succession, while Clarendon High Schools for Girls lifted the girls’ title for a second time in three years at the annual Top Schools Squash Tournament in Pietermaritzburg over the weekend.
The event brings together the provincial champions from around the country in a bid to determine who is the best of the best. At the conclusion of the event, both Zwartkop and Clarendon had emphatically laid claim to those titles.
Boys’ competition
Zwarries faced Michaelhouse, Selborne and Bishops in Section 1 and had few problems in cruising to top spot, dropping only five games in their three victories. Selborne, one of established powers in South Africa, grabbed second spot, beating Michaelhouse 17-8 in their key fixture.
Meanwhile, in Section 2, which was more tightly contested, it was King Edward VII (KES) who came out on top. Their results were remarkably consistent, beating St Andrew’s School 17-7, Midstream College 16-7, and Maritzburg College 17-6.
Saints, another established power, secured second spot and a place in the top four by comfortably dealing with Maritzburg College and Midstream.
Zwarries showed their superiority when they downed KES 17-4 in a meeting of the section winners in the cross-pool playoffs. That was as close as any team got to the defending champions.
KES, in turn, convincingly dealt with St Andrew’s and Selborne, while Saints beat Selborne 16-10 in a hard-fought tie to lay claim to third place.
Maritzburg College secured fifth place, Midstream College placed sixth, Michaelhouse was seventh, and Bishops eighth.
Girls’ competition
In the girls’ competition, Clarendon blew through their Section 1 opposition, dropping only three games while bagging 20 games in their clashes with St Anne’s, St Mary’s Waverley and Westerford.
They were joined in the top four by St Mary’s, who downed St Anne’s 17-10 in the key tie of the group.
Meanwhile, Section 2 belonged to Midstream College, the defending champions. They defeated Epworth, Eunice and Paarl Gimnasium, but the Northerns’ representatives were challenged, especially by Epworth, whom they beat 15-9.
Clarendon recorded a 16-8 win when the section winners met and they repeated that result against Epworth, while also outplaying St Mary’s. Midstream got the better of Epworth to secure second place, with the Pietermaritzburg girls in third place and St Mary’s taking fourth.
In the cross-pool playoffs for fifth to eight, Paarl Gim dominated. St Anne’s followed them, in sixth place, with Eunice finishing seventh, and Westerford placing eighth.
RESULTS
Boys’ Section 1, Rounds 1-3
Zwartkop 20-1 Michaelhouse
Zwartkop 17-3 Selborne
Zwartkop 20-1 Bishops
Michaelhouse 1-20 Zwartkop
Michaelhouse 8-17 Selborne
Michaelhouse 19-6 Bishops
Selborne 3-17 Zwartkop
Selborne 17-8 Michaelhouse
Selborne 20-3 Bishops
Bishops 1-20 Zwartkop
Bishops 6-19 Michaelhouse
Bishops 3-20 Selborne
Boys’ Section 2, Rounds 1-3
KES 17-7 St Andrew’s
KES 16-7 Midstream
KES 17-6 Maritzburg College
St Andrew’s 7-17 KES
St Andrew’s 18-8 Maritzburg College
St Andrew’s 18-6 Midstream
Maritzburg College 6-17 KES
Maritzburg College 8-18 St Andrew’s
Maritzburg College 18-7 Midstream
Midstream 7-16 KES
Midstream 6-17 St Andrew’s
Midstream 7-18 Maritzburg College
Boys’ Cross-Pool (1-4)
Zwartkop 17-4 KES
Zwartkop 17-3 Zwartkop
Zwartkop 20-2 St Andrew’s
KES 4-17 Zwartkop
KES 15-7 Selborne
KES 17-7 St Andrew’s
Selborne 3-17 Zwartkop
Selborne 7-15 KES
Selborne 10-16 St Andrew’s
St Andrew’s 2-20 Zwartkop
St Andrew’s 7-17 KES
St Andrew’s 16-10 Selborne
Boys’ Cross Pool (5-8)
Maritzburg College 14-6 Michaelhouse
Maritzburg College 18-5 Bishops
Maritzburg College 18-7 Midstream
Midstream 16-8 Michaelhouse
Midstream 7-18 Maritzburg College
Midstream 16-7 Bishops
Michaelhouse 7-14 Maritzburg College
Michaelhouse 19-6 Bishops
Michaelhouse 9-16 Midstream
Bishops 6-19 Bishops
Bishops 5-18 Maritzburg College
Bishops 7-16 Bishops
Girls’ Section 1, Rounds 1-3
Clarendon 20-2 St Anne’s
Clarendon 20-1 St Mary’s
Clarendon 20-0 Westerford
St Anne’s 2-20 Clarendon
St Anne’s 10-17 St Mary’s
St Anne’s 20-2 Westerford
St Mary’s 1-20 Clarendon
St Mary’s 17-10 St Anne’s
St Mary’s 20-1 Westerford
Westerford 0-20 Clarendon
Westerford 1-20 St Mary’s
Clarendon 2-20 St Anne’s
Girls’ Section 2, Rounds 1-3
Midstream 15-9 Epworth
Midstream 20- 0 Eunice
Midstream 18-4 Paarl Gim
Epworth 9-15 Midstream
Epworth 17-6 Eunice
Epworth 18-6 Paarl Gim
Paarl Gim 4-18 Midstream
Paarl Gim 20-2 Eunice
Paarl Gim 6-18 Epworth
Eunice 0-20 Midstream
Eunice 2-20 Paarl Gim
Eunice 6-17 Epworth
Girls’ Cross-Pool (1-4)
Clarendon 16-8 Midstream
Clarendon 20-1 St Mary’s
Clarendon 16-8 Epworth
Midstream 8-16 Clarendon
Midstream 20-2 St Mary’s
Midstream 15-9 Epworth
St Mary’s 1-20 Clarendon
St Mary’s 2-20 Midstream
St Mary’s 5-17 Epworth
Epworth 8-16 Clarendon
Epworth 9-15 Midstream
Epworth 17-5 St Mary’s
Girls’ Cross-Pool (5-8)
St Anne’s 7-18 Paarl Gim
St Anne’s 20-2 Westerford
St Anne’s 17-5 Eunice
Paarl Gim 18-7 St Anne’s
Paarl Gim 20-1 Westerford
Paarl Gim 20-2 Eunice
Eunice 5-17 St Anne’s
Eunice 2-20 Paarl Gim
Eunice 19-7 Westerford
Westerford 2-20 St Anne’s
Westerford 1-20 Paarl Gim
Westerford 7-19 Eunice
