From March 14-16, ten Bearcats—five girls and five boys—competed at the Junior National Championships in Philadelphia, delivering outstanding performances on the national stage.

Nine of the ten players matched or exceeded their seedings, a testament to their dedication and skill. However, the standout of the tournament was Jude Cha ’28, who entered as the No. 2 seed and fought his way to the finals, dropping just one game in a hard-fought semifinal against the No. 3 seed.

The championship match was set to be a thrilling contest, with Jude facing Vivaan Mehta of California, a formidable opponent who had won the BU15 division at the British Junior Open in January. But Jude arrived battle-tested, coming off a JCT tournament victory in Texas and competing at the US High School Nationals and the NEPSAC Championships. His experience showed early, as he staged a comeback to win the first game and controlled the second from start to finish.

Mehta, however, responded in the third, demonstrating his own championship pedigree. After forcing a decisive fifth game, the match took a dramatic turn—Mehta’s backhand follow-through struck Jude in the nose, leaving him bleeding and requiring medical attention. Despite the setback, Jude remained unfazed. With remarkable composure and resilience, he returned to the court, took control, and never looked back, securing the national title with a gritty 11-9, 11-1, 5-11, 5-11, 11-8 victory.

This championship win was especially meaningful for Jude, who finished as the runner-up in the same tournament in 2023. With this triumph, he becomes the first Bearcat to win a Junior National Championship while at Hotchkiss—an extraordinary milestone for both him and the program.

Full Results for the Bearcats:

• BU15: Jude Cha – 1st place (National Champion)
• BU17: David Martoma ’28 – 13th-16th
• BU19: Oscar Okonkwo ’25 – 3rd place
  • Parth Khera ’26 – 10th
  • Rohan Gupta ’26 – 13th-16th
• GU17: Makeda Moshi ’25 – 6th place
  • Pippa Clark ’28 – 19th-20th
  • Eloise Oakley ’27 – 25th
• GU19: Elise Kang ’25 – 11th-12th
  • Virginia Wood ’25 – 29th-32nd

Congratulations to Jude and Oscar (pictured below) and all the Bearcats on an incredible showing at Nationals!