Schools
Agnes Irwin Student Wins National Squash Tournament
Five Agnes Irwin squash players competed in the Under 13 division — the highest number of students from a single school to qualify.
The Agnes Irwin School is pleased to announce that seventh grader Katherine Glaser took home the first place trophy in this year’s Pennsylvania Junior Championship Tournament on Oct. 12.
The PA JCT championships were held at Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania the weekend of Oct. 10-12, running alongside the prestigious US Open professional championships. Five Agnes Irwin players competed in the Under 13 division — the highest number from a single school in the entire country, according to AIS Director of Squash Alex Stait.
“To qualify for the tournament is an achievement in itself, as they only accept the top 32 players in the country for each division,” Stait said.
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Students Margaux Comai, Grace Flaherty, Rachel Mashek, Olivia Walsh and Katherine Glaser all qualified for the championship.
Comai and Flaherty reached the second round of the consolation tournament — a great achievement, Stait said, especially considering that this was the girls’ first year in the Under 13 division.
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Walsh barely lost out in the quarter final of consolation in a close-fought match. “With a better draw, Olivia could have troubled many of the top players,” Stait said.
Mashek finished a fantastic 4th place overall — her best-ever tournament finish, Stait said, noting that it was the best squash he had ever seen her play. After reaching the Semifinal, she gave the No. 1 seed a fright by losing a close 3-1 match.
The icing on the cake was Agnes Irwin’s No. 1 in the Middle School team last year and No. 2 seed in the event Katherine Glaser.
Glaser traveled through fairly comfortably to the Semifinal, where she played long-term rival Nina Mital from New York. Katherine was down two games and it looked as though she may be beaten before making a major comeback under pressure. Her resiliency and a tough 3-2 win took her into the final against No. 1 seed Avni Adnand from California.
Glaser had lost a few close matches against Adnand recently and was focused on getting revenge and claiming her first ever JCT title. She played some of her best squash ever and set out with a high tempo pace that took Adnand out of her comfort zone.
“Avni has always been ranked above me, and in the Under 11 tournament, she was always so much stronger,” Glaser said. “I lost to her at the last JCT, but this time I was determined to beat her.”
After being two games up, Glaser lost the third before a close, tense battle in the fourth. Glaser closed the match out with a perfect volley drop, claiming her first JCT event and a fitting finale before she ages out of the U13 age group.
“This was great reward for Katherine, who has worked incredibly hard on her game the last few years and is now proving to be one of the top junior players in the country,” Stait said.
“It was a big relief,” Glaser said. “It felt like all that hard work paid off.”
All five girls were a credit to Agnes Irwin. “They performed with great sportsmanship and a smile on their faces and are a great sign for the future program at AIS Squash,” Stait said.
Squash season for Agnes Irwin teams starts in November and the girls are looking forward to a second season in their new facility.
Lessons and clinics are available for all people wanting to try squash at The Agnes Irwin School. For more information, email Alex Stait at astait@agnesirwin.org.
