Squash Canada names team

OTTAWA- Squash Canada announced today that Laura Gemmell of Toronto, Samantha Cornett of Ottawa, Jennifer Pelletier of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Danielle Letourneau of Calgary have be named to the Canadian team for the women’s world junior squash championships.

Gemmell, 18, is one of Canada’s most successful junior players of all time and is seeded third in the individual tournament. She’s won the national under-19 title four years in a row and was a member of the last two world junior squads helping Canada to seventh place and near upset of second-seed Britain in the team event in 2007 and sixth place in 2005. Gemmell advanced to the fourth round in individual play at the 2007 world juniors.

"Laura can challenge for a medal in the individual event this year," said Canada’s junior national women’s coach Glenn Stark of Calgary. "She`s coming off two exceptional tournaments in Britain, including a third place at the British Junior Open, and has played these girls before."

Cornett, 18, brings more international experience to the table and is seeded individually in the 9-16 bracket. She was also on the 2007 team and has been a member of the last two Canadian teams at the Pan American junior championships highlighted by an individual gold in 2008.

"We’re feeling super confident," said Cornett. "We think we can win a team medal. This year it looks like a very even tournament and the medal chase is pretty wide open. We’ve shown at the last two junior worlds that Canada is closing in on the other countries. Two years ago we came so close to breaking into the medal round."

Pelletier and Letourneau are the two young guns on the squad. Pelletier has won the last two under-17 national titles and both players have travelled internationally for tournaments. Pelletier was on the 2008 Pan Am Junior team and Letourneau has competed at major junior tournaments in Britain.

"Looking at the other countries, I think we have the potential to do really well," said Stark. "We have a lot of depth and I wouldn’t be surprised if we are seeded in the top-five, which would be our highest ever seeding going into the junior worlds."

Stark says Canada has followed the lead of the other top nations by inserting young players into its world junior line-up.

"Our success is due to the fact we’ve identified potential players early and helped them get the experience," he said. "So for example Jennfer and Danielle will already have a world junior experience for the next championships."

The Canadian team will gather in Toronto and arrive in India, a week before the start of the tournament.

Alix Younger of Winnipeg is the team’s non travelling reserve.

The junior men’s individual world championships will also be held in Chennai over the same period. Arjun Gupta of Toronto is Canada’s lone entry.