Athletes of the Week: Gautam Ramesh & Stuart Rucker

Behind the squash court’s glass wall, two teams line up on opposite sides of the court. Coaches and captains stand near the back wall. The co-captains, seniors Gautam Ramesh and Stuart Rucker, call out their team’s players from the bottom of the ladder to the top, and each of the pairs of opponents shake hands. After both teams are introduced, Big Red’s boys’ squash team huddles on the left side for a cheer. The players pack into a tight circle and let out a loud chant, their voices echoing through the facility. They disperse across the courts and wish each other luck. In the first court, the second seeds of both teams spin a racket to decide who serves first. One player throws the small rubber ball into the air and slams it against the wall, commencing the match.

Ramesh and Rucker began playing squash at Exeter during their prep year. They first became friends during prep fall, as they were both members of the junior varsity boys’ soccer team and enjoyed computing formulas in their rigorous 31X math class. Since then, the two have grown closer through their passion for squash.

“They have grown so close together that they are akin to brothers,” James said. Prep Alex Ranganathan also praised Ramesh’s captain abilities. “Not only does Gautam follow his word, he does it quickly and to the fullest of his abilities,” Ranganathan said.

Ramesh learned to play squash from his father when he was about 10 or 11 years old. “I started playing in fifth or sixth Grade,” he said. “My dad played squash, so he taught me how to play.”

Rucker was inspired to play by his older sister, who was a captain for the Exeter girls’ varsity squash team in 2012. “When she started playing [squash], I thought I might come to Exeter, so I started playing a little bit,” Rucker said.

Joining the squash team as preps, Ramesh and Rucker cited their previous captain, Darius Kahan ’17, as a role model during their careers. “Darius was a tremendous player who really influenced me with his strong work ethic and the amount he practiced in the offseason,” said Ramesh. Kahan was consistently in the top three seeds of the squash ladder during his four years on the team. Rucker agreed with Ramesh, adding that playing against Ramesh has also helped him improve his skills. “Just having to play against Gautam a lot has pushed me to get better,” he said.

As captains, Ramesh and Rucker take on the responsibility of setting an example of skilled play and kind conduct for the younger team-members. Ramesh’s top priority is to mentor the other players. “I consider my biggest responsibility to be actively coaching the other team members to make sure that their swing is right and their tactics are on point during their matches in between games,” he said. “I really like to lead from in front rather than from behind.”

In addition to coaching, Rucker teaches proper etiquette on the court. “I think squash is a gentleman’s sport, so another aspect of being captain is showing people [how] to have good manners off and on the squash court,” he said. Rucker also hopes he is an inspiration to the younger players, as older team-members inspired him when he was a lowerclassman. “As someone who has improved a lot since prep year, I think that I show the newer members of the team that they can get a lot better if they try,” he said.

Rucker and Ramesh have helped develop a friendly atmosphere. “I definitely think that we’re one of the closest teams on campus,” Ramesh said. “Our team culture is really nice. We’re all really good friends, we eat dinner together and we have good conversations on the bus rides.” Rucker added that the friendly yet ambitious atmosphere allows him to enjoy the sport even more. “We all like to joke around a lot, but there’s also a good mix of competition and fun,” said Rucker.

Upper Sam Michaels holds that Rucker and Ramesh have played a large role in the team’s dynamic. “Stuart and Gautam make a perfect match. They’ve been friends since prep year, and their continued relationship helps foster a welcoming community for all the squash players, especially preps,” Michaels said.

Lower Nathan James agreed, adding that the captains have an almost familial relationship. “They have grown so close together that they are akin to brothers,” James said. Prep Alex Ranganathan also praised Ramesh’s captain abilities. “Not only does Gautam follow his word, he does it quickly and to the fullest of his abilities,” Ranganathan said.

Both captains look forward to continuing their squash careers in college. Rucker will play on MIT’s team under acclaimed coach Thierry Lincou. “I plan to play at MIT. The coach, Thierry Lincou, former world number one was impressed by my squash [abilities],” said Rucker. Ramesh added, “He was so impressed by Stuart’s squash [capabilities] that he thought he was a 5.1 rating when he was actually a 4.5,” referring to the squash rating system, which ranks players on a six-point scale. Ramesh hopes to continue the sport as well. “I definitely hope to play in college as walk-on if I can, and I’ll try. I think the team environment has been really great for me at Exeter, and I’d love to play on a team in college,” he said.