By David Chass
The Greenwich High School student-athletes of Greenwich Squash achieved unprecedented success this past weekend in the 2024 U.S. High School Squash Championships played in Philadelphia, PA.
The Boys team captured its first-ever national championship while the Girls took third place in their respective divisions at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center.
More than 200 schools and 1,600 players participated in this year’s event, the world’s largest squash tournament.
The Boys team battled throughout the tournament to win the Division IV championship, outlasting 15 other teams to bring home their trophies. The team is composed of co-captains Jake Duda (GHS senior) and Parker Young (GHS sophomore); seniors George Nahm and Aubrey Niederhoffer; sophomores Noah Chass and Addison Towle; and freshmen Nate Park and James Tesei. Co-parent managers Cora Towle and David Chass noted the tournament victory came as a result of a true team effort, with all team members securing key wins throughout the three days, and the winning combinations different in each match.
The Greenwich Squash Boys beat public and private high schools from Massachusetts (Brookline High School), Pennsylvania (Lower Merion School District), New York (Rye High School), and Connecticut (Kingswood-Oxford School) on its way to the championship.
Co-Captain Parker Young, the team’s top-rated player, reflected on the weekend, saying, “Over Nationals, we really came together as a team, through coaching, supporting each other, bonding and cheering, throughout all the ups and downs. Without that camaraderie, I don’t think our win would have been possible. Watching my teammates and friends become better players, learning and growing throughout the year, was an incredible experience. I am so proud of our team for taking home Greenwich High School’s first ever-boys win this year and look forward to defending that title next year!”
Co-captain Jake Duda looked forward to the team he is leaving behind as he moves onto college, adding, “This season and the accomplishments that have come with it has created a new aura around Greenwich Squash. This season has set the precedent for years to come and has given future teams something to build off. In the coming years, I have a feeling Greenwich Squash is going to be better than ever and will be a force to be reckoned with.”
Legendary Greenwich Squash leader Toni Montiero noted, “I’m tremendously proud of these kids and this Greenwich Squash program – both the boys and the girls. The club has grown and matured since it
was founded in 2008, all leading to this weekend’s first-ever championship for the Boys’ program.”
Montiero also observed this year’s Greenwich Girls performance is its best since the Girls team won its only championship in 2019.
Greenwich Squash’s Girls are led by co-captains and seniors Erin Beiley and Samantha Scharff, and include junior Tavi Choudhary, sophomore Mariam Fahimi, and freshmen Katie Duff, Youhan Liang, Sara Anderson Rahimtula and Terra McDonnell. Co-parent managers Janine Scharf and Karen Beiley pointed to Anderson Rahimtula and Fahimi winning all four of their matches by scores of 3-0, and Duff clinching the third place finish in Division V with a thrilling, come-from-behind victory in the last match of the tournament.
Co-captain Samantha Scharff said, “I’m so proud of all the girls and how far they’ve come. Everyone has improved so much throughout the season, and I loved seeing every girl put their all into supporting their
teammates this weekend. The team spirit and friendships we’ve developed on this team are something I’m heartbroken to leave behind.”
Co-captain Erin Beiley added, “These last four years, we’ve been building and creating a team. This year was the culmination of all that work with us coming together as a cohesive unit to respect and support each other. We finished off the season all working together and I hope the team continues to foster such a supportive and fun environment. We have a very strong group of young women who are going to continue to develop. We may have taken third place this year, but next year we’re going all the way!”
Looking back at the tournament as a whole, Greenwich Squash’s coach, Elliot Ridge of MSquash, remarked “the entire weekend and tournament was a massive team effort. It was electric – the boys and
girls supported each other in a way I’ve never seen. It was so much fun to watch them play their hearts out and dig deep for every point. I am unbelievably proud of each and every one of them.”
Greenwich Squash is a fully parent-volunteer led program which aims to promote the sport of squash in our public schools. Greenwich Squash teams participate in the FairWest Public School Squash Association (FairWest), a league founded in 2008 to support public school squash in Westchester and Fairfield Counties, and surrounding areas. In the 2023-24 season, FairWest had approximately 500 High School players participating in the league, making it one of the largest scholastic squash leagues in the USA.
Greenwich Squash – Boys Team
Noah Chass
Jake Duda
George Nahm
Aubrey Niederhoffer
Nate Park
James Tesei
Addison Towle
Parker Young
Greenwich Squash – Girls Team
Erin Beiley
Tavishi Choudhary
Katie Duff
Mariam Fahimi
Youhan Liang
Terra McDonnell
Sara Anderson Rahimtula
Samantha Scharff