LANGLEY Park School for Girls student Georgina Kennedy came out on top in a national squash competition.

The 15-year-old was competing in the U17 girls’ British squash championships in Manchester, an event which attracted more than 400 competitor in age groups ranging from U13 to U19.

Kennedy was seeded fourth going into the competition but played exceptionally well to beat both the first and second seeds to win the national title.

She said: “I really didn’t expect to win this, it didn’t even cross my mind.

“I had a tough quarter-final, then to beat the top two seeds in the semis and final is just fantastic.”

The Year 11 pupil at the Beckenham school won the U15 category last year and this recent success brings her tally of national titles to four.

This is her first year competing in the U17 age category.

Kennedy is one of the country’s strongest young squash players.

She has played for England, trains regularly with the national squad and is currently ranked number three in Europe, as well as being ranked the number one player in Kent in the U17 category.

Kennedy started playing squash when she was aged nine at the Park Langley Club in Beckenham.

She still plays there regularly for the club’s men’s and ladies’ teams and devotes a great deal of time and energy to squash, training and playing at least four times a week and playing in tournaments all over the UK and Europe.

Langley Park School for Girls’ head of sport Amy Gouldsmith added: “Gina is a very talented and hard-working player.

“To win her new age category in her first year is a tremendous achievement.”

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