Sometimes, it’s easier to go onto the big stage with little rehearsal time and low expectations and wow the crowd, just ask Saskatoon’s James Landeryou.
Landeryou finished third Racquetball Canada’s 2016 Nationals – his best ever showing at the event he’s been to so many times. He’d finished fifth at last year’s national, also a previous personal best.
“It was awesome to finish third,” Landeryou said. “Some of the big guns got knocked out early by the local guys and that opened it up for me.”
The finish was a surprise to many, most of all to Landeryou himself. He’d endured a tough 2015-16 season that saw sixth and 12th place finishes at the two selection events. Landeryou then rallied in the second half of the season winning the Keystone in Winnipeg and a local tournament in March. However, immediately prior to nationals Landeryou said he was ill prepared by the standards this level of racquetball generally requires.
“I wasn’t expecting too much going in,” Landeryou said. “I had just back from a trip to China a week before (nationals) and had only hit the ball a bit. It wasn’t enough (by my standards) going into nationals.”
Of the other Saskatchewan participants in Nationals, Saskatoon’s Nathaniel Husulak and Lee Connell, Macrorie’s Tanner Prentice and Martensville’s Graham Frattinger finished finished fifth, 11th, 13th and 15th respectively in the men’s open event. Barret Husulak of Saskatoon lost out in the round of 32. In men’s doubles, Connell and Nathaniel finished fourth while Landeryou and Barret finished eighth and Prentice and Frattinger ended up tenth.
Leading the way on the women’s side was Christine Richardson of Regina who won the women’s doubles open event with partner Michele Morrisette; Danielle Drury of Saskatoon finished second in doubles and fourth in open singles.
Also representing the land of living skies were Regina’s Susan Dauk and Darrell Davis, Lynda Howell of Saskatoon, and Bruce Robinson of Lumsden. Dauk and Howell finished second and eighth respectively in Women’s A/B, Davis wound up seventh in Men’s Singles B, and Robinson was third in Men’s 60+ Singles.
In the doubles’ events, Dauk and Davis together finished third in Mixed Doubles A, Dauk finished third in Women’s Doubles A, and Davis won the Men’s Doubles B event with partner Dave Boyd. Robinson finished fourth in both the 55+/65+ and Mens Doubles B events.
Nationals were held May 23 to 28th in Burlington, ON.
