By Guest Contributor

Mar. 16, 2016:  This past weekend, nine talented squash players from Bronxville qualified for and participated in the prestigious U.S. Junior Championships in Cambridge, Massachusetts. These players compete in tournaments throughout the year to achieve rankings, and only the top thirty-two players in each age group in the country qualify for the U.S. Junior Championships.  

Bronxville was well represented in the 11s, 13s, and 15s divisions:  Ellie Clifford (Girls Under 11), Brooks and Charlie Clifford (Boys Under 11), Molly Stoltz (Girls Under 13), Ronin Kaplan (Boys Under 13), McKenna Stoltz (Girls Under 15), Harry and Sam Charlton (Boys Under 15), and Tyler Mackesy (Boys Under 15).

It was a great weekend of squash for the Bronxville players, with notable results in all three age groups. In the Boys Under 11 division, Charlie Clifford upset the third seed, Ahmad Haq of Santa Clara, California, in the quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals and ultimately finish fourth in this division.

In the Girls Under 13 division, Molly Stoltz won four straight matches to reach the finals but was ultimately taken down by Lucie Stefanoni, the number-one seed, of Darien, Connecticut. Molly's results are particularly impressive, because this is Molly's first year in this age group.

Finally, in the Boys Under 15 division, Tyler Mackesy triumphed in a five-game quarterfinals match to reach the semifinals but ultimately lost to Jed Burde of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, in four games. Tyler then rebounded to defeat the number-one seed in the draw, Yassin Amir of Tuckahoe, to finish in third place in his division. 

Other impressive performances include those of Ellie Clifford, who reached the semifinals of the Girls Under 11 consolation, and McKenna Stoltz, who reached the quarterfinals of the Girls Under 15 consolation.

In addition, Harry Charlton finished in the top twenty-four in the Boys Under 15 division after losing a five-game match to the twelfth-place finisher, and Sam Charlton finished in the top thirty. Ronin Kaplan, who just moved into the Boys Under 13 division, finished in the top thirty-two, as did Brooks Clifford in the Boys Under 11 division. 

All in all, Bronxville once again showed its prowess in the junior squash world.

Pictured here:  Bronxville squash players who played in the U.S. Junior Championships.

Photos contributed by parents