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By Darryl Gangloff

The Hotchkiss boys varsity squash team won the School’s first D1 national title on Feb. 22 in a 4-3 final against 2024 champions St. Andrews during the U.S. High School Team Squash Championships at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center. The girls varsity team earned a hard-fought second-place finish against Greenwich Academy.

“It’s the biggest tournament in the world, every year. Team squash is the best squash,” Bobby Burns ’08, squash program director, said immediately following their victory. He applauded St. Andrews and expressed his respect and admiration for their team. “That was as good as competition gets,” he said.

Burns then addressed the Bearcats. “You embodied the spirit of what it means to be a team. You came together at every single moment in which it felt like we might drift apart, and this is the end result. I want you to remember that. Teams can do great things together. We’re better together. Congratulations, boys!”

“This title for the boys, and sustained excellence for the girls, is the product of years of investment and trying to put our students in the best possible position to succeed,” said Dempsey Quinn, director of athletics. “It is amazing to see all the time, hard work, and investment pay off for the students, for the coaches, and for the program as a whole.”

Boys Squash Wins National Championship

The 2-seed Bearcats won their first match against 15-seed McCallie School 7-0, followed by a 6-1 victory against the 7-seed Mercersburg Academy in the quarterfinals. Hotchkiss defeated the 3-seed Haverford in the semifinals.

The final match against St. Andrews was a back-and-forth 4-3 win, thanks to victories by Jude Cha ’28, Reed Morris ’28, Knox Vitrano ’28, and Simrith Gaddam ’28. Parth Khera ’26 and Rohan Gupta ’26 both went to five games against their opponents. Simrith scored the final title-winning point with a fantastic between-the-legs shot. His fellow Bearcats roared as they rushed the court to celebrate their historic championship. (Scroll down to view a video.)

"Winning the deciding match feels like a dream come true, but I don't deserve all the credit. It wouldn't have been possible without the victories of Jude, Reed, and Knox, along with the entire team's support, which gave me the strength to keep fighting for the win," Simrith said.

The boys capped their undefeated season with a New England Championship victory on March 1.

Girls Squash Earns #2 in Nation for Second Year

“High School Squash Nationals is the biggest squash tournament of the year,” said Maja Clark, head coach of girls varsity squash, noting that 95 girls teams from around the country competed for the title of champion.

The Bearcats came in as the second seed, and they won their opening match against 15-seed Darien High School 7-0. Their second match was against Nobles and Greenough, and Hotchkiss beat them convincingly 7-0.

“Our third match was tougher against the 3-seed, Andover. It was a 6-1 victory for Hotchkiss,” Clark said. Sunday brought the finals against the perennial winners, Greenwich Academy. Hotchkiss fell 2-5 to the Gators with wins from Trinity Moshi '29 and Makeda Moshi '26. Olivia Choo '26 and Charlotte Mcafee '28 both went to five games against their opponents.

“It was a thrilling nationals and our second year finishing at the #2 spot,” Clark said. “We will sharpen our competitive edge as we look to the future!”

Watch the Championship-Winning Point