On December 18, Meagan Best ’20 took second place in the under-19 U.S. Squash Open. Photo by Renee Jiang/ The Choate News
On December 18, Meagan Best ’20 and Nicolina Tessitore ’21 competed in the under-19 U.S. Squash Open, at Drexel University. Best upset the #2 seed in the semifinal match and won a silver medal for her performance in the tournament.
Best went into the tournament hoping to finish in the top ten, and she more than accomplished her goal. Although Best lost her final match, she was very happy that she advanced that far into the tournament and had a chance at winning.
Being invited to compete at the U.S. open takes a lot of training and dedication and is an accomplishment in itself. For each age group, only the top 75 players in the world are invited to play at the tournament.
Unsurprisingly, qualifying for the tournament took a lot of training and dedication. Best has been preparing and training for the tournament since the start of the school year. Whether it be training on the courts or in the gym, Best has put in the time to improve her game. It takes a lot to prepare mentally and physically for the U.S. Open. Best said, “My biggest weakness has always been my movement. Since I was a little kid I have been working on that aspect of my game and trying to improve it.”
Though the physical preparation for the tournament can be draining, this was not Best’s first time at a high-level squash tournament. She started playing at the international level when she was 11, and, as it happens, her first international tournament was held at Choate. Best also took first place at the U.S. Squash Open in 2017 and, the following year, she received third place. At the Choate tournament, Best had a chance to meet the Head Girls’ Varsity Squash Coach, Ms. Jenn Pelletier.
Pelletier said, “I think Meagan not only sets an example for her teammates, but also for all athletes. Most people assume that you cannot go to a boarding school and play a sport at a high level, but Meagan shows that, with dedication, it is possible.”
Best manages to stay grounded and keep her composure despite the pressure that comes with being a competitive athlete. Best was never nervous at the U.S. Open. She said, “This was the first tournament that I was not nervous at all, for some reason. I think it was because I was confident with the work I had put in. I knew that I was ready for whatever opponent I had to play.”
In order to mentally prepare for the competition, Best listened to music for about two hours before each of her matches. This helped her get in the zone and forget about everything else going on in her life.
When asked if she had any takeaways from the tournament, Best said, “The biggest thing I learned was the importance of recovery. We played about two matches every day, six matches in all, and that can really wear down your body.”
Best returns to Choate with experience from a high-level squash tournament and hopes that she can lead this year’s Girls’ Varsity Squash team to success at Nationals and New Englands.
