The guy who is engraving the trophies at the Riverton Squash Club must be getting a repetitive strain injury.
For the 25th time, Riverton player Adrian Mennell has won the senior men’s title.
The 45-year-old won 3-0 in the final earlier this month, and despite it being his 25th victory in the grade, he said it was still a thrill to win — as it had been for all of them.
"All of them have been really good," he said.
"It is pretty tough competition right through. Last year was probably the toughest one I have played. I ended up winning 15-13 in the fifth so that was a relief. I did face a match ball but managed to push through."
Three years later he was beating his dad - who won the title in 1991 - to take his first title at Riverton.
He never looked back.
"I quite enjoyed it when I started playing but it was not my main sport. But I kept playing and still play three or four times a week."
He said that he still played golf and was a black belt in taekwondo, but he had left most other sports behind apart from squash.
The only time he did not win the title since 1993 was when he blew out his Achilles tendon and could not play.
When the Riverton Squash Club shut down for three years, he went down the road to Otautau Squash Club where he won its senior men’s title.
He had been winning at Riverton ever since the club got back on its feet.
Mennell is a member of the Southland masters side which is heading to a national tournament in Hamilton next month.
He also still plays A grade for Riverton in the Southland competition.
"I’m still hanging in there - every year it gets harder but you have to do it."
The sawmill manager and part time real estate agent said he would likely be back to hunt for number 26 next year.
