It has been one of the more successful and historic seasons for the boys varsity squash team. After a 2022-2023 season that saw mixed results, the team was finally able to put it all together and take their game to the next level led by the dedicated and experienced Head Coach Robby Lingashi.
After a 10-5 regular season, the team moved into the postseason riding high, ready for the New England Championships. These sets of matches would provide the younger team with valuable, high-level squash experience. The team performed very well at the New England Championships, placing fourth out of eight teams. After the New England Tournament, when asked what the team’s goals are for the rest of the season, senior Co-captain Bassil Chughtai made it very clear. “Win nationals,” he said.
The National High School Squash Tournament took place on Feb. 24 and 25, in Philadelphia. The team made an early statement in the Round of 16 with a dominating 7-0 victory against New Canaan, letting the rest of the field know that the Wyverns were not to be slept upon. In the quarterfinals, the boys faced a strong opponent from Georgia, but thanks to victories from junior Co-captain Jack Krieble, freshman Cole Keegan, and seventh graders Ryan Lingashi and Quinn Waldron, the team won 4-3.
These same four players would come up clutch again in the semifinals against a familiar foe in Salisbury School, where they found victory again, winning 4-3, projecting the team forward into the final round. The team lined up against Greenwich High School in the final round. After seven thrilling, back-and-forth matches, the team came up just short of a national title, falling by a score of 4-3 but showcasing a valiant effort from the boys as they left everything out on the courts.
Though unable to bring home the gold from Philadelphia, the team will be able to look back on the season as a whole and be proud of the work they put in. The team had multiple 7-0 shutout victories against some of the stiffest competition in the northeast such as Canterbury School, Avon Old Farms School, and Suffield Academy. The team also showed their ability to stay in the moment and win the close matches with some 4-3 wins against the notorious Loomis Chaffee School and Salisbury School.
Chugtai highlighted the efforts of Keegan and how he has been one of the more impressive and important contributors to the team. “Cole Keegan has shown a lot of improvement from last year,” he said. “He’s our No. 1 now and has been playing really good squash all year.”
The future of the team is very bright. With Chughtai being the lone senior on the team, he will be the only one missed for next year. Featuring two seventh graders in the rotation will only prove to be valuable for years to come. The team as a whole gained valuable experience in close matches against high-level competition, which will only benefit them. Congratulations to the boys varsity squash team on an incredible season, and we wish them luck for the 2024-2025 season.
