Boys & Girls Squash Take Bronze at 2020 NEPSAC Class A Squash Championships

It’s all bronze for Deerfield squash! At this past weekend’s 2020 NEPSAC Class A Squash Championships the Deerfield boys squash and girls squash team each finished in third place in their respective tournaments.

The boys varsity squash team traveled to Wallingford, CT for their tournament which got underway at Choate on Saturday, February 29 with their opening head-to-head quarterfinal match vs. Hotchkiss. The Big Green prevailed 6-1 over the Wildcats to advance to the semifinals.

Quarterfinals vs. Hotchkiss: Win 6-1

  1. Merritt Wurts: Win 3-2 (11-4, 7-11, 11-6, 7-11, 3-11)
  2. Adrian Todd: Win 3-1 (11-9, 8-11, 5-11, 7-11)
  3. Charles Braff: Win 3-2 (11-8, 8-11, 11-9, 9-11, 9-11)
  4. Ahmed Elwabory: Loss 0-3 (11-6, 12-10, 12-10)
  5. Freddy Manning: Win 3-2 (11-7, 12-10, 6-11, 8-11, 5-11)
  6. Robert Sawyers: Win 3-1 (10-12, 11-5, 6-11, 4-11)
  7. Beck Ayres: Win 3-1 (8-11, 9-11, 11-8, 8-11)
  8. Billy Kitchel: Loss 0-3 (11-1, 11-6, 11-4) Exhibition

In the semifinals, the Big Green faced defending champion and eventual 2020 champions, Brunswick School in the semifinals on Saturday evening and eventually fell to the champions, 0-7.

Semifinals vs. Brunswick: Loss 0-7

  1. Merritt Wurts: Loss 1-3 (11-5, 4-11, 11-4, 13-11)
  2. Adrian Todd: Loss 1-3 (11-6, 11-6, 6-11, 11-6)
  3. Charles Braff: Loss 0-3 (11-7, 11-3, 11-8)
  4. Ahmed Elwabory: Loss 0-3 (11-3, 11-5, 11-3)
  5. Freddy Manning: Loss 0-3 (12-10, 11-5, 12-10)
  6. Robert Sawyers: Loss 0-3 (11-8, 11-9, 11-3)
  7. Beck Ayres: Loss 0-3 (11-4, 11-7, 11-8)
  8. Billy Kitchel: Loss 0-3 (11-2, 11-9, 11-6) Exhibition

On Sunday, the Big Green found themselves facing a familiar opponent in Belmont Hill. Most recently, the Doors faced off against Belmont Hill in the Top Flight finals of the National Championship. The result remained the same as in the previous meeting, with the Big Green prevailing for the win, 5-2.

Consolation Finals vs. Belmont Hill: Win 5-2

  1. Merritt Wurts: Win 3-1 (9-11, 13-11, 11-6, 12-10)
  2. Adrian Todd: Loss 0-3 (6-11, 8-11, 9-11)
  3. Charles Braff: Win 3-1 (8-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-8)
  4. Ahmed Elwabory: Win 3-2 (10-12, 11-6, 12-10, 7-11, 11-7)
  5. Freddy Manning: Win 3-1 (8-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-4)
  6. Robert Sawyers: Loss 2-3 (11-6, 6-11, 11-4, 9-11, 10-12)
  7. Beck Ayres: Win 3-0 (11-8, 11-5, 11-6)
  8. Billy Kitchel: Win 3-0 (11-2, 11-3, 11-3) Exhibition

For NEPSAC Class A Boys Squash Championship results click here.

Including the NEPSAC Championship results, the Big Green finished their 2019-2020 season with overall 18-5-0 record. Furthermore, their 2019-2020 season resume includes a 7th place finish at the 2020 Head US High School Team National Championships and a 3rd place finish at the NEPSAC Class A Championships.

This year, Deerfield hosted the NEPSAC Class A Girls Squash Championship, providing the Big Green with a familiar setting for the championship. The formatting for the girls championship followed an individual draw by ladder seed format, there were eight entrants per draw and team points were earned based upon each individual player’s finish within their draw.

In the opening round of quarterfinal play, #1 Isabella Rolfe defeated her opponent from Choate 3-0, then fell in three games to her oppoenent from Sacred Heart in the semifinals. In the consolation final on Sunday, she faced off against a player from Nobles, forcing the match to four games, but eventually fell in the fourth game, 1-3, earning 4th place overall finish in the #1 spot.

At #2, Griffin Dewey ’20 also opened the tournament by defeating her opponent in the quarterfinal match-up, 3-1. In the semifinals, she lost to her opponent from Greenwich 0-3 and then faced the #2 player from Andover in the consolation final, falling in three games to earn fourth place overall in the championship competition.

Deerfield’s #3 Devon L’Esperance won her opening quarterfinal match vs. Winsor, 3-0; only allowing her opponent to score a total of 8 points. Again, Devon posted a 3-0 victory in her semifinal match vs. Andover. In the final, her opponent from Greenwich earned the 3-0 win and Devon finished second overall in her championship bracket.

At the fourth spot on the ladder, Maeve Baker opened the tournament winning her quarterfinal match 3-0 vs. Nobles. In a back-and-forth semifinal match, Maeve lost to her Sacred Heart opponent 1-3 then, rallied in the consolation final, coming back from an 0-2 deficit, to defeat her Andover opponent 3-2 and earn third place overall in the tournament.

The fifth draw saw Willow Woodward defeat her Nobles opponent in her opening quarterfinal match, 3-0. In the semifinal she faced an opponent from Sacred Heart who she defeated 3-0. Advancing to the championship match, Willow faced a top-ranked opponent from Greenwich, who won in three games, 3-0.

In the sixth bracket, Sarah Stonestreet won her quarterfinal match 3-0 and advanced to the semifinal match. In the semifinals she face an opponent from Sacred Heart, Sarah rallied after dropping the first game for the 3-1 win. In the championship, she fell 3-0, earning the silver in the championship match.

Finally, in the seventh position draw, Daly Baker opened her tournament play by defeating her opponent in the quarterfinals 3-0. She was defeated in the semifinals 3-0 by her opponent from Sacred Heart. In the consolation final, Daly defeated her opponent from Winsor in three straight games to secure a third place finish overall.

Click here for the NEPSAC Class A Girls Squash Championship results.

#1 – Isabella Rolfe: 4th place
#2 – Griffin Dewey: 4th Place
#3 – Devon Lesperance:  2nd Place
#4 – Maeve Baker: 3rd Place
#5 – Willow Woodward: 2nd Place
#6 – Sarah Stonestreet: 2nd Place
#7 – Daly Baker: 3rd Place

At the conclusion of the season, the girls varsity squash team posted an 11-4-0 overall record, finished third in the New England Class A Championship and earned the fifth place ranking at the 2020 Head US High School Team Squash National Championships.

Congratulations to both teams on their accomplishments this season!

Go Big Green!