SGT Kim Booth-Collis (HQNORCOM) made the semi-finals before losing to the eventual women’s open champion at the Australian Defence Squash nationals at RAAF Base Williamtown from August 20-24.
Sgt Booth-Collis had played well leading up to the semi finals and in the round-robin had taken a game off Air Force’s Sgt Madonna Doyle – the only one she conceded to that stage – by a point. The two were expected to meet in the Friday final, but instead met in the semis, where Sgt Doyle took her third title with a 3-0 win.
Pte Benjamin Steinfelder and Sgt Jason Turk were the other standout players for Army. In A-grade, Pte Steinfelder played well in winning all his round-robin matches and Sgt Turk showed great potential with a stylish display in his first appearance at the nationals. His fine technique often left his opponents on the back foot with his deceptive drop shots.
Both Army men were eliminated in the semi-finals. In the inter-Service event, Army beat Navy in the first round, only to be outclassed by Air Force in the final. Air Force retained the title for the sixth consecutive year, a record in squash.
