Whakatāne High School’s Marley King has her eyes set on squash’s A grade.

The 15-year-old player, who was introduced to the sport by family friends, recently finished runner-up at the Bay of Plenty Secondary Schools’ Girls Individual Squash Championship held at Devoy Squash Centre in Tauranga.

She attended with limited expectations, but surprised herself, playing some strong squash and making it to the final, where she faced an A1-graded player from Otumoetai College.

Despite the strong opposition, she was able to score points in the three sets.

“I was pleased with my results …  I played my best and in the final, I came up against an A-grader. Although I lost, it gave me a taste of what it takes to get to that level.”

The other Whakatāne High School students to compete were Molly Thompson-Brine, Riley King, Merryn Boyde, Miriana Lawrence and Hēllēn Robinson.

The year 11 students has a few squash goals beyond contesting the secondary school championships in 2026 and 2027.

“I would like to be A-grade by the time I am 18 and long term, hopefully, represent the Bay of Plenty and maybe even New Zealand,” she said.

Marley said she got into squash by accident.

“My family and I were introduced to squash through family friends. Squash was a sport we knew nothing about, but I loved it from the first time. Once I tried it, I really enjoyed it and I soon realised I had some natural talent.”

Marley said it’s a great sport to get into.

“It is a really fun sport that any age or fitness level can play. You don’t need to be a super good player to have fun.”

She’s a member of the Whakatāne Squash Club and tries to practise six days a week.

“I want to play as many tournaments as I can, pushing harder and continuing to improve. I love the competition and all the new places it has taken me, and I’ve made so many new friends in the sport.”