As Covid-19 conditions continue to improve, Choate’s sports teams returned to the New England Class B Squash Championships, where both Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity squash teams achieved great results. The Girls’ Team placed first in all of New England and the Boys’ Team placed third.
The Girls’ tournament, hosted at Phillips Academy Andover, showcased the talents of Nina Hashmi ’22, Rachel Miller ’23, Elena Zhang ’24, Paley Adelson-Grodberg ’23, Charlotte Flynn ’25, Annelie Hang ’25, and Sophia Britton ’24. The team played well throughout the Championships, beating The Taft School and Phillips Exeter Academy to claim the top spot. Flynn and Hangboth finished first overall in their #5 and #6 brackets, respectively; even more impressive, they had three 3-0 wins.
“It was an amazing feeling,” Hang said. “The matches were hard, so I’m really proud of myself and the team.”
Rachel Miller ’23, who placed second overall in the #2 bracket, shared the same reaction as many of her teammates: “I don’t think any of us expected to win, so we were really pleasantly surprised and super excited when we did. It was an incredible moment for all of us.”
Meanwhile, the Boys’ team traveled to Deerfield Academy in hope of capitalizing on their momentum. Rodrigo Chon-Him ’25, Ari Starr ’22, Zach Starr ’24, Kyle Chitty ’23, Will Ji ’23, Kenny Tang ’22, Neill Saggi ’23, and Finn McGaan ’22 each fought competitively in the Championships, ending with a 5-2 victory over Hopkins School, solidifying their third place finish.
The group’s first match against strong opponent Phillips Exeter Academy highlighted their resilience. At a 3-3 draw, Choate’s top player, Chon-Him, faced Exeter’s top player in the decisive match. In a close and dramatic scene, Chon-Him overcame his opponent with the help of his teammates.
“We started screaming and celebrating, because we were going to the semifinals,” said Chon-Him. “The boys’ team hasn’t been to the New England semifinals for a long time, so that was a very remarkable moment.”
Both squash teams look forward to nationals this weekend, beginning on February 25.
“I think we’re having a great season,” Saggi said, “I think we have a pretty good shot at also doing well at nationals.”
Both teams have come a long way this season, overcoming adversity through hard work and mutual support.
Mr. Will Morris, who has been head coach of Boys’ Squash since 2001, said, “Many members of the team weren’t on campus last year, so for nearly everybody, there was a lot of ground lost.”
Chon-Him thanked the coaches and his teammates for their support in rebuilding the team this season. “Our start to the season wasn’t the best,” he said, “but because of the coaches and the intensity in all our training, we were able to improve a lot.”
Miller is also grateful for the atmosphere surrounding her team. “We are all very competitive people, and we want to do the best for ourselves and for the team,” she said. “We feel a sense of responsibility to each other because of that.”
For Boys’ captain Starr, the focus of this season has been making sure that “this team has a very good and healthy environment, especially for the younger players” so that the team continues its culture of respect and sportsmanship.
Hashmi, one of the co-captains of the Girls’ team, is proud of her teammates’ character that have allowed for a successful season on and off the court. “Free-spirited, super funny, and all very hardworking, they are all just very good people to be around. They all fight for every point and try their absolute best,” she said.
