Boys’ Squash Team Performs Well at Nationals

On Friday, Feb. 10, the boys’ varsity squash team left campus to participate in the U.S. High School Nationals, where it finished with a tied record. The team won two of its games against Horace Mann School and Milton Academy with a score of 6-1, but it suffered close defeats against Loomis Chaffee and Blair Academy, 2-5 and 3-4, respectively.

During the matches at Nationals, players worked hard on the courts and made sure that they were supporting each other. Senior and co-captain Darius Kahan believed that the team was able to bond more while at Nationals, which he said was important to the success of the team. “The team put valiant effort into the matches at Nationals, showing a true sense of camaraderie and commitment to the game.  Not only did we experience squash in different conditions, but also, as a team, we bonded, which is a necessary component to success in a team sport,” he said.

Prep Hojun Lew agreed that the boys had done well as a team. “We were all more motivated to do well in nationals. We all had a different mindset while we played our matches and everyone was very focused,” he added.

“It proved to us that we as a team can always strive to practice harder, focus with more intent, and execute our skills into action."

Last Wednesday, after returning to campus, the team crushed Middlesex School, winning all of its matches with a final score of 7-0. Lew attributed the team’s success to all of its focus and determination towards producing satisfying results. “When we all focus and play seriously, that is when we get satisfying results. When we are confident and serious we can play well, and do the right things at the right times during the games,” Lew said.

The team then suffered a tough loss, last Saturday, against Deerfield Academy with a score of 1-6. Although Deerfield was a strong team, the boys were also missing some of their players due to sickness. If they hadn’t lost some of their players, Lew believed that they could have ended up with better results.

“l knew that Deerfield was a strong team, and we didn’t seem confident during our matches. No matter how good a team is, if we are confident and we play our game, then that is all we can do,” he said.

Kahan was still optimistic about their results, despite Big Red struggling against Deerfield’s team. “It proved to us that we as a team can always strive to practice harder, focus with more intent, and execute our skills into action,” he said.

The team will play against Andover on Feb. 22 and it hopes to dedicate hard work into their matches, as it previously faced a close defeat against their team. “We performed quite poorly against Andover earlier this season, and I hope and know that the boys will dedicate ample energy into bettering their games so that they can outperform Andover,” Kahan said.