- Athletics
Five Mercersburg squash players competed at the 2024 US Junior Open from December 14-17 at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center in Philadelphia.
This event is one of the most competitive junior squash tournaments in the world with over 1000 participants. For the boys, Sid Shah '26 played well after qualifying for his first junior open as did Kamran Gwadry '27, who pulled off a big upset in the first round. Rayyan Khan '27 narrowly lost a five-set thriller to the #6 player in the nation and advanced deep into the consolation bracket while Noe Aceves '25 made it to the round of 32 where he fell to the #4 seed. Aceves won two more matches after that to finish in the top 20. On the girls' side, Ana Karen Botello '25 advanced easily into the round of 32 before falling to the #1 seed and finishing in the top 25.
Head coach Dominic Benaquista commented, “Overall, I am incredibly proud of how all our players represented the program. They displayed heart, determination, and character, even when faced with adversity. I couldn’t have asked for more from them. Now, it’s back to the drawing board as we shift our focus to MASO, MAPL, and the National Championships. A big thank you to all of the parents, clubs and Mercersburg community who support the program!”
The Mercersburg boys' will host the Mid-Atlantic Squash Organization tournament on Saturday, January 11 while the girls travel to Episcopal for the girls' division on the same date.