Squash
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HAVING now represented Victoria at the Australian Junior Championships, Leeton's Quinlivan siblings are already looking towards their next squash goal.
Claire, 16, Sarah, 14, and Jack, 11, competed for the southern state at the championships in Perth at the end of September into early October.
While they didn't earn any placings, the trio did win a number of singles and team matches and played to or bettered their rankings.
The championships feature the best 11 to 19 year-old squash players from around the country, competing in individual events from September 27 to 30 and team events from October 2 to 5.
In the under 15s, Sarah won her opening individual match and then lost in three sets to the number two player in Australia.
Dropping into a lower draw she went on to lose the final and finish 10th overall after starting ranked ninth.
Claire played in under 17s, going in ranked 13th.
After opening with a win, she lost to the number one player in the country and after changing draws beat the fifth and eighth-ranked players in Australia and finished 11th overall.
Jack played under 12s against some tough oponents and having gived them a run for their money, finished 13th overall after being ranked 16th.
He won two individual games out of five.
Claire said the teams competition was a completely different type of competition.
"Everyone gets behind your state, you don't feel like you've got as much pressure," she said.
"It is more competitive, but with all the supporters watching you, you feel a lot more relaxed."
Each state fielded two players in each age group team, but Sarah played on her own after her teammate couldn't attend and Claire's team had three with equal second and third ranked players attending.
As the top-ranked player, Sarah played all the number one players from other states, winning three out of five games and finishing third out of six states.
With 12 games, Claire's team rotated the three players so each played four and she won two.
"Overall, Victoria finished fifth, which is a very good achievement because it is a young and developing state," Claire said.
Sarah said Victorian players were still coming to terms with playing with each other.
"Lots of those (states) have been playing squash together for ages," she said.
"We're a mix.
"For a lot of our team it was their first year playing at a national tournament."