Logan Small led a successful charge by Yukon's 2007 Canada Winter Games (CWG) training squad at the Jester's Squash Tournament in Edmonton last weekend.

Fourteen junior squash players represented the territory in Alberta, with more than 230 participants in the tournament, and seven of the Yukoners grabbed top three finishes in their divisions. Most impressive was Small, who dominated the U-15 Novice division, claiming first place out of 16 players.

First, Small defeated Alberta's Jesse Brane in three straight games 9-7, 9-2. 9-3 then he got rid of Phillipe Blackwell in four. In the semifinals, which Small called his toughest match, he ousted B.C.'s R. Edinger in four.

In the final, he faced Christine Queinegner and brought home the gold in three straight.

It's the first tournament win for Small, who has been playing squash for about seven years and now practices three morning a week, before school. The 13-year-old also plays in the new Junior squash league in Whitehorse.

Other Yukoners who posted impressive results include: Shaun Stinson, who was third out of 12; Jane Bell, who was second out of 10; Jessica Borgford, who was second out of nine; Sophia Flather, who finished second out of six; Jeanette Carney, who was third out of nine; and Stephen Grundmanis, who finished third out of six.

'We've been going to this tournament for 15 or 16 years,' said head coach Marie Desmarais. 'Everyone did very, very well overall. It's always an incentive for kids to keep training and play harder.'

Stinson, competing in the boy's U-17/19 Novice category, won his first two matches against Andrew Costello and Graeme Law, respectively in three straight games, before getting swept by Ed Blunderfield in his final round-robin match.

Stinson came back in his semifinal bout, taking third place with a victory in four games.

Bell, who is no stranger to Outside competition, won her first two contests in the girl's U-15 Main division in three straight games, against Albertans Devon Tatary and Sasha Yong. But she lost in the finals to Alberta's Kelsey Tole in three.

'Jane was seeded number three and beat the number two seed to play in the final, so that was very good,' said Desmarais.

Borgford, who played in the girl's U-15 Novice category, took on the N.W.T.'s Kielenn Richards in her first match and came away with the win after three games. She followed that up with a sweep of Alberta's Hayley Andruko. The final was a hard-fought battle with Saskatchewan's Alyssa Petry, with Petry coming out on top after five games.

Flather, competing in the U-13 Novice division, faced Alberta's Katherine Clark and Keira Schnell in her first two bouts, collecting three-game victories in both. In the final, Flather took on Katherine Milligan and came up short, losing in four games.

Carney played four round-robin games to earn her third-place finish in the girl's U-15 Novice group. She won her first two contests over Albertans Katie Buck and Hanna Cherniowski, needing four and three games respectively.

Her third match against Saskatchewan's Petry went to five games before Petry took the win. Carney's emerged with the victory in her final match against Andruko, taking it in four games.

Grundmanis was up against some tough competition in the boy's U-13 Novice division, winning his first match in three games before falling to Damien Hall in five. He only needed three games in his final contest against Spencer Hay to declare the win.

Also at the Jesters tournament, Ian March won the consolation round in the boy's U-17/19 Novice division, up against 11 other participants. March won three of his four matches to claim the consolation.

Erin Linkater (girl's U-17 Novice), Erik Jacobsen (boy's U-15 Novice), Robert McMynn (boy's U-17 Main), Haley Thomson (boy's U-17/19 Novice), Cameron Trayner (boy's U-19 Novice) and Zoe Walker (girl's U-15 Novice) are also part of the CWG training squad that went to Edmonton.

The next tournament for the squad will be the PNW in Victoria in February. A lot of the Yukoners who did really well in Novice at the Jesters, like Small, will certainly be moved up a category in Victoria, said Desmarais.

'The first time (a player moves up a category) can be really tough,' she said. 'But that's the kind of competition we're going to be facing at Canada Winter Games, so it's important they get that experience.'

Desmarais also plans to take the players to Yellowknife in April, for a tournament against their territorial counterparts.

She hopes that may encourage the N.W.T. to put together a full squad for the 2007 Games as well.