In a time full of playoff excitement in Alberta, squash is right there in the mix as over 200 players compete in the 96th edition of the Lapham-Grant this weekend in Calgary, at the Glencoe Club and Bow Valley Club, April 20-23.
In a rival to test the ages, the Lapham Cup matches first began back in 1922 and boasts 90 consecutive years of cross-border competition, with the Grant Trophy matches starting in 1945, the Crawford Trophy matches in 1999, and the Lawrence-Wilkins Trophy matches in 2001.
In a time full of playoff excitement in Alberta, squash is right there in the mix as over 200 players compete in the 96th edition of the Lapham-Grant this weekend in Calgary, at the Glencoe Club and Bow Valley Club, April 20-23.
In a rival to test the ages, the Lapham Cup matches first began back in 1922 and boasts 90 consecutive years of cross-border competition, with the Grant Trophy matches starting in 1945, the Crawford Trophy matches in 1999, and the Lawrence-Wilkins Trophy matches in 2001.
Each year, all four events are held at the same time, with hosting alternating between Canada and the United States.
The Lapham-Grant Matches consists of four dual matches—men’s singles competing for the Lapham Cup, men’s doubles competing for the Grant Trophy, women’s combined singles and doubles competing for the Crawford Cup, and legend’s doubles, men’s players over 65 years of age, competing for the Lawrence-Wilkins Trophy.
Canada looks to build on it's 2016 run where Canada's men swept their divisions and the women, although utimately dropping the Crawford Cup, battled hard and kept it close throughout.
Lineups, full schedules and the live scoreboard are available at www.laphamgrant.com.
A little bit of squash history
The coveted Lapham Cup is valued at over $50,000 and is similar in size to hockey’s Stanley Cup. It was donated in 1922 by Henry B. Lapham of Brookline, Massachusetts, for an international Men’s singles team competition between the U.S.A. and Canada. The Grant Trophy was donated in late 1944 by Alastair Grant of Montreal for a similar Men’s doubles competition. The Crawford Trophy was donated in 1999 by William Crawford of Vancouver in honor of his wife Richenda, for Ladies singles and doubles team competition. In 2001, Edgar A. Bracht of Toronto presented the Lawrence-Wilkins Trophy for the Men’s “Legends” (over age 65) doubles team competition. It is named in honor of the truly legendary figures of Barney Lawrence of Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario and C. Howard Wilkins Sr of Wichita, Kansas, both of whom did so much for the game, as players and builders.
