Gabe McGuire '24
Dec 9, 2022
The boys and girls varsity squash teams are hoping to set records this season as they storm into the winter season. Last year, the varsity girls team became Division IV National Champions- a feat that they hope to top. “[the teams’] first goal is to see if they can win Division III,” said boys varsity coach, Ryan Tyree, who assists Mike Sweeney, the girls head coach. The girls aren’t the only ones with high expectations. Last season, “The boys placed their highest in school history in the middle of the Division III bracket, but this year we are hopeful we will be able to jump again to the 1st division, which is for the top 16 teams in the USA,” said Tyree.
Motivated by their lofty goals, both teams have already seen success. “The boys season opener was a marathon. We played Baltimore's Gilman School first, a squad that was the no. 10 team in the U.S. last season - we had some chances but narrowly lost 3-4, so we are really looking forward to another chance to try and reverse that result! The highlight came next with our 4-3 win over Lawrenceville, a team our school has not defeated in living memory,” said Tyree. The girls’ have also seen a strong start, participating in a series of home matches, against The Hill School, Shady Side Academy, and St. Catherine’s School. They finished 8-1, 9-0, and 3-6, respectively.
The teams’ successes and ambitious season goals can partially be attributed to the high-caliber players on both teams, including both squash recruits and players who have trained their way onto the ladder. Tyree stated, “We have had this amazing 10-court facility since 2005, and it's been my dream since interviewing that we could use our strength as a school to attract some top players to the teams. I would say that my only secret to successfully attracting high-level players is the relationships I've made along the way, coaching at other schools and competing over the last 15 years in the squash world. We have made other adjustments along the way, such as finally opening up our first-ever fall squash club, Rising Storm, to allow our college-bound athletes to stay sharp in the pre-season ahead of our team season in winter.”
Spectators beware, as both teams are cut out for a stellar season! After a series of away games during the rest of this short winter school season before Christmas break, both teams will return to the courts in January ready for the competition.