The St. Andrew’s School became the first Floridian High School National Champions, while Connecticut’s Greenwich Academy extended the program’s remarkable title record with their eighth consecutive and seventeenth overall Patterson Cup following a dramatic finals day Sunday, February 25, at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center.
A record number varsity squash teams featuring more than 1,600 players participated in the 2024 U.S. High School Championships—the world’s largest squash tournament—as the event marked its twentieth anniversary, February 23-25, in Philadelphia.
203 teams represented seventeen states and competed across thirteen divisions at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center, Penn Squash Center, Drexel University, Germantown Cricket Club and Springside Chestnut Hill.
Live stream replays will be available on the US Squash Youtube Channel Monday, February 26. View all results on the High School Nationals tournament page. Tournament photography will be available on the US Squash Smugmug page.
2024 marked twenty years since the inception of the high school boys national team championship, competing for the Justi Cup, and nineteen years since the addition of the girls national team championship, competing for the Patterson Cup.
The division one finals saw both top seeds capture national titles.
In the Justi Cup (Boys Division 1) semifinals, both St. Andrew’s and Brunswick flipped their 2023 semifinal losses against Kent and Haverford, respectively, to reach the finals. edged five-time champions Brunswick 4-3 in a dramatic final. The deciding match came down to the No. 7s with the score level at 3-all. St. Andrew’s Thiago Cabrejos held off a five-game comeback from Brunswick’s Anden Boulan in an hour-long marathon to seal the title.
Wael El Hindi, the St. Andrew’s Head Coach and former world No. 8, owns and operates the Kinetic Indoor Racquet Club in Boynton Beach, Florida, and partnered with the Boca Raton-based St. Andrew’s School to create a squash program in 2021.
“We came in with some nerves because we didn’t know what to expect, but these boys have shown really good resilience this week and supported each other as a team and it’s great to see them win a championship,” El Hindi said. “It’s one of the best events I’ve ever attended. It blows any PSA event out of the park with 1,600 players and 203 teams. Having to play the last match like this going down to the wire, it almost feels like a world championship team event, with even more players and more teams. It’s just so exciting. The whole journey from the start of this program has been unreal. To move to a state with little squash and try to create something and having these players and school follow and believe in that dream. Things are moving in the right direction, and squash is growing which is what we want to do. It wouldn’t happen without the support of the school, the players and US Squash. It’s happening on a daily basis and it’s nice to see all of the hard work pay off.”
The St. Andrew’s Scots were competing in just their third High School Nationals after making their Division 2 debut in 2022 and reaching the Division 1 semifinals in 2023.
“It’s amazing to win, I’m happy that the team could pull it through,” said Causey Green, a St. Andrew’s senior. “That was the difference between this year and last year, we had a much tighter team. To win it for Florida, my school and my friends is awesome. I would say it was painful to watch at a certain point, we were all so nervous. But to watch those last two matches from Adam and Thiago and see them pull it through, there is just no better feeling after those matches. We need to commend Brunswick, they’re a pretty young team and they’ve done a great job and will be a tough team next year. Historically they’ve been amazing so congrats to them for getting to the final.”
Greenwich Academy added to their illustrious title record, but came up against difficult opposition in three-seeded Lawrenceville. GA’s Grace Fazzinga and Elle Graziano earned an early lead for GA, but Lawrenceville’s Lily Purtuc claimed a match for the big read in a close five game win at No. 4. GA No. 1 Charlotte Pastel and No. 5 Charlotte Thompson then stepped up to clinch the title for the gators with 3-0 wins, adding to an overall 5-2 victory for the gators.
“I’m very proud, these weekends are so difficult to win,” said Luke Butterworth, Greenwich Academy Head Coach. “A lot of people think ‘GA will turn up and win’ but that’s absolutely not the case. Coming into this tournament we set expectations for ourselves to perform at the highest level under immense pressure. Each year that we do win the pressure mounts and mounts. We have a very young team this year, we only have one senior, it puts it into perspective that we’ve played so well with a young team and showed great maturity. In these matches when the atmosphere gets ramped up, it comes down to how well the girls can hold themselves together. Today they did that, the way that they came out strong and really set the tone. To come home with the Patterson Cup again is something really special. I want to thank my amazing assistant coach Jamie Sutcliffe for everything he does. He was in tears last night because of how much this means to him. His hard work and dedication to this team is something truly special. Without him we wouldn’t be here holding number eight.”
Butterworth has now led GA to an unprecedented eight consecutive Patterson Cup triumphs during his tenure.
“Credit to all of my teammates, last night there were some tears and you can just see the true passion that each of the nine girls has,” said Ella Miller, a GA senior. “We came out today really strong and everyone was really brave in their matches and I think it really showed with the result. It’s been a great high school squash career. A huge thanks to Coaches Luke, Jamie and Arturo. I’m so thankful for everything. My teammates are so amazing. They’re so passionate about the game and every day they show up to practice with a big smile on their face. Everyone wants to be there and wants to work hard and that’s something that’s really help me improve as a squash player because everyone wants to get better all the time.”
Of the eleven divisional finals, seven ended with a 4-3 scoreline including both Division 2 finals. Boys D2 two seeds Pingry avenged their 2023 D2 final loss by defeating top seeds Belmont Hill. Tournament host school Springside Chestnut Hill earned a title in the girls D2 division, fulfilling their top seeding and defeating two seeds Groton (Massachusetts) in a close final.
The girls D3 final was an all-Philadelphia area affair between four seeds Lower Merion School District and three seeds Bryn Mawr. Bryn Mawr went one better than their 2023 D3 runner up finish and claimed the 2024 title 5-2. Boys D3 top seeds Hackley fulfilled their top seeding, defeating surprise finalists Louisville Collegiate High School (Kentucky) 5-2 to take the title.
Greenwich Boys made a title run as the Boys D4 four seeds, defeating the Kingswood-Oxford School 4-3 in an all-Connecticut final. The girls D4 final came down to the top two seeds, Greens Farms Academy (Connecticut) and Roland Park (Maryland). Two seeds Roland Park went on to win an upset final 5-2.
The John Burroughs School (Missouri), the girls D5 two seeds, upset top seeds Westminster (Georgia) 4-3 in a close final. Boys D5 top seeds McDonough (Maryland) edged three seeds MASC (New York) 4-3 in a close final.
The John Burroughs boys (Missouri) made a surprise title run as the D6 four seeds culminating in a 6-1 final win over three seeds Millbrook (New York). Girls D6 three seeds Riverdale (New York) defeated unseeded finalists, the Westover School (Connecticut), 4-3 to win the title.
Two seeds Avon High School (Connecticut) defeated four seeds BCSM (New York) 4-3 to win the boys D7 title.