History of Vaal Triangle Squash
1976 The Vaal Triangle started to play provincial squash as a province. The pioneers in starting our squash province were people like Cliff Barnes, Johann Calitz, John Clayton and Jeff Langton. Before this date squash was played as local league, but not on provincial level. Some players like Dennis Human played Jarvis for 1978 Vaal Triangles team to SACD in George Men – Won their section – Toepie Wood, Ian Cass, John Clayton, R Tyndall, Jeff Langton and Pat Farla Women – Atri Wilson, Salome Pienaar, Sarie Hartzenberg, Marietjie Kritzinger, Doreen v/d Merwe and Honor Greyling. Salome Pienaar was the runner-up in the individuals during the SACD 1979 Vaal Triangle teams: Men – Ian Cass, John Clayton, Harold Dickerson, Pat Farla and Jeff Langton. Women – Salome Pienaar, Marietjie Kritzinger, Honor Greyling, I Basson and E Halliday. Usco Started playing Transvaal league (2nd and 6th league) later the Usco side included any player in the area because of travelling costs to Johannesburg. 1980 SACD – Men runners-up in Newcastle. The team were Ian Cass, John Clayton, Toepie Wood, Harold Dickerson, Pat Farla, Jeff Langton. The womens SACD team were Salome Pienaar, Marietjie Kritzinger, Honor Greyling, I Basson, Sarie Hartzenberg and Elize Halliday. USCO played in the Transvaal league in the 2nd and 6th leagues 1981 SACD – Men winners of their section in Kimberley. 1982 Vaal Triangle teams : Men – Ian Cass, Toepie Wood, Fanie Hattingh, Pat Farla and Jeff Langton. Women – Atri Wilson, Sarie Hartzenberg, Doreen van der Merwe, Marietjie Kritzinger and H Sieberhagen. 1984 Vaal Triangle teams – Men A – John Clayton, Ian Cass, Toepie Wood, Jeff Langton, Pat Farla. Men B –Glen Bryce-Borthwick, Fielie v/d Walt, Kobus Sandenberg, Daan Gouws, Harold Dickerson and Gerald Porter Women – Sarie Hartzenberg, Marietjie Kritzinger, Atri Wilson, Doreen v/d Merwe and Salome Pienaar. League teams – 1st -8, Res. 10, 2nd – 10, 3rd 10 and 4th 10 teams Usco A winners of 1st league and Verref B winners of Reserve league. Vaal Triangle Masters Squash was started by Eddie Fitzhenry and is still going strong. 1985 League results Men 1st –Usco A, Res. Sasol B, 2nd – Sasol C, 3rd – Heilbron, 4th – Iscor G 1985 Schools 38 teams in league, Championship 80 players. U/19 B 10 Tal Benschacher Runner-up Pieter vd Westhuizen. U10 G – Carol Cass Runner-up – Christi Joubert. U 16 –B Grant Langton. U16 G Delienne Naude 1986 Vaal Triangle team Men – Johan Smit, Willie Esterhuizen, Toepie Wood, John Clayton and Harold Dickerson Vaal Triangle team Women – Toets v/d Westhuizen, Doreen v/d Merwe, Hester de Klerk, Avril Jennings, Ronel de Swart en Marie Trusler 1988 League results Men: 1st – VCC A, Res. Glen Douglas A, 2nd – VCC C, 3rd – Iscor G, 4th – Iscor E Women : 1st – VCC A and 2nd – Sasol B Sportsman of the year was Stefan de Wet and Sports-woman of the year Doreen v/d Merwe Most improved players ; men –Ettienne Koekemoer and Women – Illona Muller Juniors – The first ever Vaal Triangle U/12 teams to Cape Town. The boys were Duane Hocknell, Danie Grovè, Gerhardt Greeff, Henry van der Walt and Benjamin van der Merwe. The girls were Lynette Swartz, Matilda Jubber, Hendra van der Merwe and Jandri Keyzer. Doreen van der Mwerwe and Sarie Hartzenberg accompanied the teams. 1989 League teams – Men 1st 11, Res. 10, 2nd 10, 3rd 10, 4th 6 teams ladies 1st 5 and 2nd 5 teams 1992 League teams : Men 1st -8 teams, Res. – 10, 2nd – 10, and – 8, 4th – 8 teams. Women 1st – 5 and 2nd – 5 1995 Hendra v/d Merwe is number 1 on the SA ladder for girls U/19. She also holds the number 12 position on the SA women’s ladder. She was the official reserve for the South African side to Australia. Toepie Wood started to organise the Blitz league 1996 Hendra v/d Merwe is number 22 on the SA ladder. 1997 Danie Grove represent the South African boys U/19 side to Zambia. 2003 Declan Silver, Pieter Lategan, Johan van Rensburg, Hester de Klerk and Belinda Stein were chosen to play in the Jarvis/Kaplan tournament. Tenille Swartz, Mary-Ann Bowden, Janus Botha and Paul Prinsloo represented South Africa overseas as juniors. 2005 League results: 1st – Iscor A, Res. Iscor F, 2nd – Iscor I, 3rd – Parys E. Kyle Dougherty and Ronnie du Plessis was elected to play in Jarvis tournament. The Parys school girls did very well. Tenille Swartz was number 1 on the South African ladder, while Mary-Ann Bowden was number 2 and Mignionette de Bruin was number 8. All from one school and one club. Brilliant. Tenille also played for the South African U/19 side in Holland. 2006 Tenille Swartz is number 28 in the world. She was also named by WISPA (Womens International Squash Player Association) as the “Young player of the year” after she won her first WISPA tournament – The Meersquash Open in Hoofdorp, Holland at the age of 19. She was the SA womens champion. The Blitz league changes to Summer league 2007 Tenille Swartz is number 38 in the world. She is the SA womens champion. No womens league since 2007 until 2014 Masters did quite well and the men 35C, 40B and 50B won their sections on the IPT. 2008 Francois Smith (jr) is number 5 in South Africa for boys under 14. Christine Ferreira is number 5 on the SA ladder and played for SA girls U/19 against Botswana and Malaysia. 2009 Tenille is the SA womens champion. No womens league 2011 Tenille van der Merwe (Swartz) is the SA womens champion. 2013 Graham Hocknell (on behalf of the Vaal Triangle Masters) received the trophy in Pretoria as the best organised province for Masters Squash. 2014 Tournaments. The Vaal Triangle have participated in the following tournaments during the past almost fourty years: Jarvis, Kaplan, SA Country Districts (SACD), SA Country