NEW YORK, N.Y. – Harvard Squash made a strong debut at the CSA Individual National Championships, with seven student-athletes advancing to the next rounds in their respective divisions.
On the women’s side, standout performances came from Saran Nghiem and Caroline Fouts, each securing two wins and securing spots in the quarterfinals of the Ramsay Cup’s main draw. Molly Stoltz and Ocean Ma showcased their skills in the Holleran Cup semifinals, setting the stage for more competitive battles.
For the men, Neel Joshi, Segev Rome, and Jacob Lin demonstrated dominance on the courts. Joshi progressed through both the Round of 32 and Round of 16, earning a place in the semifinals of the Pool Trophy main draw. Rome and Lin advanced to the semifinals of the Molloy Cup.
RESULTS
Ramsay Cup
Round of 32
Saran Nghiem, a key player for the Harvard women’s team, defeated Maria Moya from University of Virginia with a convincing 3-0 (11-5, 11-8, 11-8). Lucie Stefanoni also went undefeated, decisively besting Amelie Hamworth of Stanford 3-0 (12-10, 11-9, 11-5). Caroline Fouts overpowered Spring Ma of Yale with a 3-0 (11-5, 11-6, 11-6) victory. Tragically, Habiba Eldafrawy fell to Hannah Chukwu from Trinity, losing in four games (3-1; 19-17, 4-11, 13-11, 12-10).
Round of 16
Yale’s Heng Wai Wong eliminated Lucie Stefanoni with a 3-1 (11-8, 12-10, 8-11, 11-8) win. Saran Nghiem maintained her winning streak, defeating Emma Trauber from Princeton 3-1 (11-5, 7-11, 11-7, 11-6). Caroline Fouts secured her second victory over Jana Safy of Trinity through a gritty 3-2 (12-10, 8-11, 10-12, 11-4, 11-5) match.
1st Consolation
Habiba Eldafrawy, despite earlier losses to Chukwu, rebounded to defeat Maria Clara Ramirez Velasquez from Dartmouth with a 3-1 (12-10, 5-11, 11-2, 11-5) win.
Holleran Cup
Molly Stoltz secured her spot for further competition by defeating Reshika Rajarathinam from William Smith, winning convincingly 3-0 (11-7, 11-2, 11-2).
Pool Trophy
Round of 32
Neel Joshi led the Harvard men’s team with a flawless 3-0 (11-4, 11-3, 11-9) victory over Benedek Takacs of Trinity. Denis Gilevskiy remained undefeated, narrowly defeating Avi Agarwal of Princeton 3-2 (8-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-2, 11-9). David Costales embarrassed Guido Lindner of Trinity, winning comfortably 3-0 (11-3, 11-5, 11-9).
Round of 16
Penn’s Omar Hafex secured a 3-0 (11-4, 11-8, 11-5) win over Denis Gilevskiy, and Lachlan Sutton from Yale triumphed over David Costales with a hard-fought 3-2 (4-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-3, 11-9) victory. Neel Joshi extended his winning run, defeating Christian Shah of Dartmouth 3-0 (11-4, 11-3, 11-9).
Molloy Cup
Jacob Lin advanced past Varun Fuloria from Columbia with a 3-1 (11-2, 11-4, 9-11, 11-6) win. Meanwhile, Segev Rome defeated Alexander Arader from Franklin & Marshall convincingly 3-0 (11-1, 11-4, 11-6). In the East draw, Dhirren Rajarathinam from Rochester narrowly beat Conner Stoltz of Harvard 3-2 (2-11, 12-10, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7). Conner Stoltz, displaying good performances, bounced back with a 3-1 (11-8, 11-5, 7-11, 11-5) triumph over Antonio Mendes of Western in the East 1st Consolation.
SUNDAY SCHEDULE
In the Pool Trophy, Neel Joshi takes on Salman Khalil from Penn at 2:00 PM on Sunday, January 26, in Court FiDi1.
The Ramsay Cup sees Saran Nghiem facing Zeina Zein from Princeton at 11:30 AM on Sunday, January 26, in Court FiDi1. Caroline Fouts will compete against Riya Navani from Stanford at 3:40 PM in the same court.
In the Holleran Cup (South), Ocean Ma goes head-to-head against Ana Margarita Quijano at 9:00 AM on Sunday, January 26, in Court FiDi5.
The Holleran Cup (West) features Molly Stoltz clashing with Rachel Mashek from Georgetown at 9:50 AM on Sunday, January 26, in Court FiDi4.
The Molloy Cup (North) sees Jacob Lin competing against Shreemann Raghavan at 9:00 AM on Sunday, January 26, in Court FiDi3.
Lastly, in the Molloy Cup (West), Segev Rome battles Joe Smythe from Dickinson College at 9:50 AM on Sunday, January 26, in Court FiDi2.
As we focus on these upcoming matchups, it promises to be an exciting weekend filled with talent, competition, and anticipation for the future of collegiate squash.
Join us in cheering on Harvard Squash as they compete for national glory. Stay tuned for updates on the performances and the final outcomes.
Your support is invaluable. Please share your thoughts on the athletes’ performances in the comments section below, and don’t forget to subscribe for more thrilling updates from the world of collegiate squash. Share this article on your social media platforms to spread the excitement!