SEA’s 19th Individual Nationals took place at Deerfield Academy and Amherst College from June 16-18, bringing together 423 players from 21 SEA member program sites, including international affiliate Urban Squash Toronto. In addition to the competitive match play, the three-day affair included a private school fair and panel, a college fair, a board chair gathering, an awards ceremony, and a celebration of the network’s high school seniors. SEA students stayed in the dorms, ate in the dining halls, and enjoyed being on the beautiful campuses of Deerfield and Amherst.

In the A draws, New York’s StreetSquash and Cincinnati Squash Academy led the way, winning three draws each. StreetSquash captured the Boys Under 19, Boys Under 17, and Girls Under 17 divisions, while Cincinnati Squash Academy, led by the Asefa siblings, took home the Girls Under 15, Girls Under 13, and Boys Under 13 trophies. SquashHaven won the Girls Under 19 draw, First State Squash, SEA’s newest program, won the Boys Under 11, and New York’s CitySquash won the Boy Under 15 and Girls Under 11 draws.

Highlights from the final day include Mathew Aldana of StreetSquash coming back from a 0-2 deficit to claim the win in the fifth game for the Boys Under 19 draw. Princess Davenport of SquashHaven and Angelina Amastal of CitySquash, both teammates at Loomis Chaffee School, faced off in the finals for the Girls Under 19 draw with Princess pulling off the win in the fifth game. Like Mathew, Princess also came back from an 0-2 deficit. CitySquash players also faced each other in two finals including the Boys Under 15 and Girls Under 11. 

For Cincinnati Squash Academy, bringing home three A division titles was a breakthrough performance. “It is an absolute pleasure to work with such talented and respectful student-athletes,” says Cincinnati’s Squash Coach and SquashBusters alum, Kat Leiva. “Our students have shown their dedication to their sport by coming into practice every day and spending as many hours on court as they can to win these first-place finishes.”

“It was truly special seeing students play in this event for the first time and seeing how squash can bring different communities together,” says Tournament Site Director and SquashSmarts alum  Sakora Miller. “You could also see how much events like this meant to students who were playing for the last time before graduating.” 

“It’s humbling to run this event from the inside,” says SEA’s Squash Event Coordinator and StreetSquash alum, Joetta Francis.  “It always proves worth it to see students truly enjoying themselves with friends old and new. I’d like to shout out the students who competed in the U11 division. It was a first for some and they all played so well!”

A special thank you to Deerfield and Amherst for hosting, and to tournament staff, SEA member organizations, and everyone who made this event special.

2023 Champions

Girls A Division

Under 19
Winner: Princess Davenport – SquashHaven
Finalist: Angelina Amastal – CitySquash

Under 17
Winner: Rokaya Ali – StreetSquash
Finalist: Ariana Michaca – CitySquash

Under 15
Winner: Laell Asefa – Cincinnati Squash Academy
Finalist: Lindyn Morocho – CitySquash

Under 13
Winner: Rona Asefa – Cincinnati Squash Academy
Finalist: Melanie Silva-Mota – Capitol Squash

Under 11
Winner: Jaylin Vrolyk – CitySquash
Finalist: Yanet Ramos – CitySquash

Boys A Divisions

Under 19
Winner: Matthew Aldana – StreetSquash
Finalist: Randy Guzman – CitySquash

Under 17
Winner: Matthew Dayle – StreetSquash
Finalist: Adam Le – Portland Community Squash

Under 15 
Winner: James Vazquez – CitySquash
Finalist: Rodrigo Hipolito – CitySquash

Under 13
Winner: Ellad Asefa – Cincinnati Squash Academy
Finalist:  Ricardo Gonzalez – Urban Squash Cleveland

Under 11
Winner: George Acquah – First State Squash
Finalist: Fikir Dawit – Cincinnati Squash Academy

Tournament Results