Waite To Be Inducted Into Sarnia Sports Hall Of Fame
by Rob Dinerman for DailySquashReport.com
Dateline June 24th --- The Sarnia Lambton Sports Hall Board of Directors announced its 2011 Inductee Recipients earlier this week, a 10-person list that includes two members in the Professional category, namely Pat Verbeek, a 21-year NHL veteran who won the 1999 Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars, and squash legend Gary Waite, whose prominence in all three squash disciplines as a North American Open winner (hardball), No. 12 PSA ranking (softball) and record-setting achievements in ISDA doubles made him arguably the greatest all-around squash player in the history of the sport.
Waite, 44, captured the North American Open, the most coveted crown in hardball squash, in March 1993, defeating Mark Talbott in a close four-game final just two months after attaining his No. 12 PSA standing. The following year, he won the first of his record 11 North American Doubles titles, the last seven of which (from 2000-2006) came in collaboration with Damien Mudge in a partnership which produced 75 ISDA tournament victories (the second most productive team, Paul Price/Ben Gould, has amassed 22) and an undefeated skein from April ’01 to February ’03 that spanned 24 tournaments and 76 matches. There were three seasons (1999-2000, 2001-02 and 2004-05) in which the Waite/Mudge duo went undefeated wire-to-wire throughout the entire season. Prior to turning pro during his college years at Harvard, Waite, who retired in the spring of 2007, set records for Canadian Junior titles won and also made off with the U. S. Juniors trophies in every age category for which he was eligible.
The induction ceremony is scheduled for September 24th at the Camlachie Community Centre, and anyone wishing to attend this event should contact Board President Wilf Clothier by phone (519-336-6682) or email (wclothier@cogeco.ca).
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