For the first time in known history, Parkes will host one of the oldest squash tournaments in the country – the Green Shield.
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The competition – which will run from Friday to Sunday – involves about seven regions from NSW and ACT.
This year Western Region was awarded hosting rights, with Parkes suggested as the perfect venue after it hosted the NSW Junior Squash Championships last July.
“We’re in a bit of shock,” Parkes Squash Centre manager Judy Kross said of Western’s decision to host the event in Parkes.
“Each region has eight teams across four age divisions with three players in the girls and four in the boys.
“So we are expecting around 150 players.”
Twenty eight players will represent Western in the tournament, 10 of those coming from Parkes.
Seven-year-old Henry Kross and 10-year-old Cooper Huppatz will compete in the under 11 boys event while Hanna Kim (10) will play in the under 11 girls.
Marley O’Shannessy (12) and Harrison Ryan will step up in the under 13s.
And Bronte O’Shannessy (15), Kasey Nightingale (15), Liam Pope (16) and Chester Kelly will compete in the under 17s divisions.
Forbes will also have three players compete with Brodie Acret and Blair Thomas in the under 15 boys and Regan Acret in the under 17 boys.
Their selections came after their performances at the NSW Country Championships in Dubbo in March, where the top three female and top four male players were chosen in each age group.
“It’s the biggest representation of Parkes players we’ve had for a while,” Judy said.
“Over the last number of years we’ve had about five, about seven years ago we had 10.”
Parkes coach Jay Kross said it was good to see so many juniors going away and qualifying for events regularly.
“Especially when there was just one.
“It’s good to see it build back up again.
“They do work hard, the seniors are here playing and training three to four times a week.”
The four courts in Parkes will be in use for the tournament, with the Western Region committee potentially turning to Forbes to use their three courts over the weekend.
In other representative duties, the O’Shannessy sisters and Kasey Nightingale have been performing well in school squash events.
Bronte and Kasey – both in Year 10 at Parkes High School – are in the Western Region Open Girls squash team with two other players from Dunedoo.
The girls worked their way through the Western rounds and have now qualified for the NSW Combined High Schools (CHS) Squash Championships in Sydney on June 27.
Little sister and Year 7 Parkes High student Marley O’Shannessy has also qualified for the CHS Championships as an individual player in the under 15s.
