Written by Guest Contributor

Jan. 28, 2015: The Bronxville Middle School Boys A squash team made history this weekend, becoming the first public school squash team ever to win the national title at the US Squash Middle School Team Squash Championship held at Yale University in New Haven, CT. The team's tremendous performance did not stop there, as Bronxville's B Team also won the Boys Division II title.

The Bronxville A team included eighth-grader Tyler Mackesy and seventh-graders Harry Charlton, Conner Stoltz, Sam Charlton, and Coulter Mackesy, the same lineup that placed fourth in the country in 2014. This year, the boys were seeded first in Division I and lived up to expectations, cruising through their first two rounds 5-0 without dropping a game. In the semifinals, they faced a tough team from The Calvert School of Baltimore, eking out a 3-2 victory. In the Sunday finals against perennial powerhouse Brunswick Academy of Greenwich, Bronxville showed its experience and depth, winning the national championship with a convincing 5-0 victory, dropping just three games along the way. Regarding their performance, Tyler Mackesy, the captain of the A Team, remarked, "It was an honor to be part of this team and make history, coming from such a small public school. We all worked really hard as a team, and our teamwork paid off!"

The Bronxville B team had similar success in Division II. This team included Justin Barr, Charlie Preusse, Connor Morris, Johnny Moynihan, and James Millard. Unfortunately, two players (Charlie Gay and William Murphy) were injured the week before the tournament and were unable to play. This team, also seeded first, made quick work in the first round with a 5-0 win and muscled past its toughest opponent in the second round, with a close 3-2 victory over the Belmont Hill School of Boston. They settled in and won their next two matches by equal 4-1 scores, defeating Episcopal Academy of Pennsylvania in the finals to take the title.

Both the Boys A and B teams showed the tremendous depth of the Bronxville squash program. Between the players at the #3, #4, and #5 positions on the two five-person squads, the aggregate match record was an incredible 23-1, something their opponents simply could not overcome.

The Bronxville girls' team of McKenna Stoltz, Julia Curran, Lyric Abbott, Charlotte Cagliostro, and Anneke Pulkkinen finished fifth in the country, with a nail-biting 3-2 win that included three five-game matches in their final contest against Greenwich Country Day School. Sheila Stoltz, the parent coordinator of the girls' team, noted, "The girls displayed impressive skill and dug deep to play well against the nation's best girl squads. I am very proud of their fifth-place finish and their great sportsmanship and team camaraderie."

The scrappy Mixed C team, made up of Tate Burgin, Daanyal Agboatwalla, Laine Neild, Dan Casperson, Charles Bogatyrenko, and Molly Stoltz, turned in a solid performance in reaching the Division II consolation final. They won a tight match against Rye Middle School 3-2 and ultimately fell to Poly Prep of Brooklyn. Finally, the Mixed D team, which included eighth-grader Paige Duffy and newcomer seventh-graders James Apostolatos, Jimmy Hennessy, and Patrick and Sean Eigendorff, finished in seventh place in Division III, winning its final match in a tight 3-2 victory.

The Bronxville School squash program was started by Kim Morse, a Bronxville squash mom, in 2009-10 as a combined middle school/ high school program. It is a member of the Fairwest League, which was founded in 2008 and includes public schools from Westchester and Fairfield Counties. The Bronxville program has seen tremendous growth in participation and talent, and with 32 children on its middle school team, it has the largest roster in the league.

The middle school team practices at both the Bronxville Field Club and Pyramid Squash in Tuckahoe. Its pros, Ajaz Azmat of the BFC and Adham Taleb of Pyramid, accompanied and coached the players for the entire tournament. Jennifer Mackesy, the overall coordinator of the program, commented, "As a public school, winning two national championships is a testament to our community. We are grateful for the support from The Bronxville School as well as the training and coaching our players receive at the Bronxville Field Club and Pyramid Squash." Amy Charlton, parent coordinator for the boys' team, added, "The team is so lucky to have such high-caliber pros working with the kids. Ajaz and Adham have been teaching many of these children individually for years, so to have them there for the team victories was extra special."

Coach Adam Taleb summed up the sentiment for the weekend perfectly: "It was an amazing weekend for all the players and parents. I am so proud of all of them." 

Pictured here (rotating): A Team: Sam Charlton, Tyler Mackesy, Coulter Mackesy, Conner Stoltz, and Harry Charlton; B Team: Johnny Moynihan, Justin Barr, James Millard, Charlie Preusse, and Connor Morris with coaches Ajaz Azmat of the BFC (L) and Adham Taleb of Pyramid Squash (R); A and B Teams with coaches Azmat and Taleb; C Team: Charles Bogatyrenko, Daanyal Agboatwalla, Dan Casperson, Molly Stoltz, Laine Neild, and Tate Burgin; D Team: Paige Duffy, Jimmy Hennessy, Sean Eigendorff, Patrick Eigendorff, and James Apostolatos with coach Ajaz Azmat; girls' team: Lyric Abbott, McKenna Stoltz, Anneke Pulkkinen, Charlotte Cagliostro, and Julia Curran.