2002 National Schools' Championships
Mark Williams reports:
Just under two hundred pairs from twenty different schools contested this year's Championships at Shrewsbury School. The format was much as before, with a Pools stage in each competition at first, and Plates for those who failed to progress beyond the second round. There were many closely-fought matches contested in a friendly manner throughout, a credit once again to both players and coaches.
The outstanding school at the Championships was Highgate, winning the Open, Under 16 and Under 14 competitions with Highgate Junior winning the Under 12s. Highgate's success in winning all three senior age group competitions has only been matched on one previous occasion, by Wolverhampton Grammar School in 1982. Alick Varma and Oliver Rodwell became only the third pair to have won all three Senior age group titles with Alick completing six senior group championship wins in his school career, one more than any other player.
HSBC once again generously sponsored the Championship, as well as entertaining their guests and the Fives Masters to a reception and dinner at Shrewsbury. Our thanks are due to the Head Master, Bursar, House Masters and the Catering Manager and to Mark Lascelles for overseeing all the arrangements. Also to Peter Knowles and James Toop for their valuable assistance and to Mark Williams, the Championship Organiser, without whom these Championships would not have reached the levels currently enjoyed.
Results
Open Competition
3rd Round:
Highgate 1 beat City of London 1 12-5, 12-2, 12-0;
Berkhamsted 2 beat St Olave's 2 12-4, 12-1, 12-2;
Harrow 1 beat Highgate 3 12-3, 12-3, 12-3;
Berkhamsted 1 beat Shrewsbury 2 12-3, 12-2, 12-5;
Eton 1 beat Shrewsbury 3 12-2, 12-5, 12-7;
King Edward's 1 beat Highgate 2 12-10, 14-11, 9-12, 12-2;
St Olave's 1 beat Eton 3 12-3, 12-3, 6-12, 12-7;
Shrewsbury 1 beat Berkhamsted 3 12-6, 12-2, 12-4.
Quarter Finals:
Highgate 1 beat Berkhamsted 2 12-2, 12-2, 12-8;
Berkhamsted 1 beat Harrow 1 12-9, 8-12, 10-13, 15-11, 12-5;
Eton 1 beat King Edward's 1 12-5, 12-5, 12-2;
Shrewsbury 1 beat St Olave's 1 15-13, 12-4, 12-3.
Semi Finals:
Highgate 1 (AS Varma & OD Rodwell) beat Berkhamsted 1 (JM Rodwell & MR Herring) 12-8, 8-12, 12-7, 12-8;
Shrewsbury 1 (HPD Clive & JN Attree) beat Eton 1 (TP McCall & CPA Nissen) 12-3, 14-13, 8-12, 7-12, 14-13.
Final:
Highgate 1 beat Shrewsbury 1 12-13, 12-9, 12-5, 12-5
U16 Competition
2nd Round:
Highgate 1 beat Westminster 1 12-2, 12-1, 12-2;
St Olave's 1 beat Highgate 3 12-8, 7-12, 12-8, 12-3;
Highgate 2 beat St Olave's 3 12-6, 12-3, 12-3;
Shrewsbury 2 beat Lancing 1 12-0, 12-0, 12-0;
St Olave's 1 beat Highgate 4 12-4, 12-1, 12-11;
Shrewsbury 3 beat St Olave's 6 12-3, 12-1, 12-1;
Highgate 5 beat Shrewsbury 4 12-3, 12-5, 12-2;
Shrewsbury 1 beat Westminster 2 12-0, 12-1, 12-0.
Quarter Finals:
Highgate 1 beat St Olave's 2 12-3, 12-3, 12-4;
Shrewsbury 2 beat Highgate 2 12-14, 12-14, 12-7, 12-2, 14-12;
St Olave's 1 beat Shrewsbury 3 12-1, 12-8, 12-3;
Shrewsbury 1 beat Highgate 5 6-12, 12-6, 12-8, 12-6.
Semi Finals:
Highgate 1 (A Patel & JP O'Callaghan) beat Shrewsbury 2 (TWP Cox & SAT Lock) 12-8, 12-8, 12-7;
Shrewsbury 1 (PS Lewis & TD Gerrard) beat St Olave's 1 (BR Dennis & LP Stradwick) 12-1, 12-8, 12-3.
Final:
Highgate 1 beat Shrewsbury 1 12-9, 12-4, 12-5.
U15 Competition
Quarter Finals:
Shrewsbury 1 beat King Edward's 1 12-7, 12-3;
Eton 2 beat Harrow 1 13-10, 12-5;
Mill Hill 1 beat Eton 3 12-11, 12-5;
Eton 1 beat Shrewsbury 3 12-5, 12-0.
Semi Finals:
Shrewsbury 1 (MK Evans & TWP Cox) beat Eton 2 (HQ Morley & JAM Bingham) 12-3, 12-5;
Eton 1 (AOTJ Love & ECA Bruce) beat Mill Hill 1 (T Audley & NMT Krendel) 12-2, 12-2.
Final:
Eton 1 beat Shrewsbury 1 12-8, 12-8, 12-6.
U14 Competition
2nd Round:
Highgate 1 beat Eton 5 12-1, 12-1, 12-0;
Highgate Junior 4 beat Eton 2 12-7, 14-13, 12-14, 6-12, 12-8;
Eton 1 beat St Olave's 1 12-3, 12-9, 7-12, 3-12, 12-7;
Harrow 1 beat Highgate Junior 12-2, 12-7, 12-8;
Highgate Junior 1 beat Shrewsbury 1 12-5, 12-3, 12-3;
Highgate 3 beat Eton 4 12-2, 12-6, 12-9;
Highgate 4 beat Highgate Junior 3 12-5, 12-8, 15-13;
Highgate 2 beat Eton 3 12-8, 12-2, 12-1.
Quarter Finals:
Highgate 1 beat Highgate Junior 4 12-2, 12-1, 12-0;
Harrow 1 beat Eton 1 9-12, 14-12, 12-8, 12-6;
Highgate Junior 1 beat Highgate 3 12-6, 10-12, 14-13, 12-8;
Highgate 2 beat Highgate 4 12-4, 12-8, 12-3.
Semi Finals:
Highgate 1 (MR Little & AA O'Callaghan) beat Harrow 1 (MGM Turner & AW Stewart) 12-2, 12-2, 12-2;
Highgate 2 (M Stonebridge & M Elkin) beat Highgate Junior 1 (P Yiannakas & RGC Desmond) 12-9, 12-6, 12-3.
Final:
Highgate 1 beat Highgate 2 12-5, 12-0, 12-3.
U14 Beginners' Competition
Quarter Finals:
Eton 1 beat Shrewsbury 4 12-1, 12-0;
Shrewsbury 2 beat Highgate Junior 1 3-12, 12-9, 13-12;
Eton 2 beat Harrow 1 12-2, 12-4;
Shrewsbury 1 beat Eton 4 12-5, 12-5.
Semi Finals:
Eton 1 (FT Burgess & TL Redmayne) beat Shrewsbury 2 (OJ Heywood & WB Cloves) 12-6, 12-5;
Eton 2 (ONS Sheinwald & THS Hodgson) beat Shrewsbury 1 (RDH McGarry & MJ Stannard) 12-9, 12-3.
Final:
Eton 1 beat Eton 2 12-8, 12-6, 12-7.
U12 Competition
Semi Finals:
Highgate Junior 1 (TM Nicoll & AK Yanovski) beat Highgate Junior 4 (DJ Twiss & PMJ Thomason) 12-3, 12-7, 12-6;
Highgate Junior 2 (JR Ho & SC Little) beat Highgate Junior 3 (JTY Meyrick & FR Cleveley-Jones) 12-4, 12-7, 12-1.
Final:
Highgate Junior 1 beat Highgate Junior 2 13-12, 14-11, 12-10
Girls' Competition
Semi Finals:
Newstead Wood 1 (C Cooley & A Ganguly) beat Chislehurst & Sidcup 1 ( S Greaves & S Otkay) 12-0, 12-0;
St Olave's 1 (H Toop & K Johnson) beat Mill Hill 1 (G Audley & K Nunn) 12-7, 12-2.
Final:
Newstead Wood 1 beat St Olave's 1 12-10, 12-7.