The Greenwich Middle School student-athletes of Greenwich Squash captured the combined program’s first Middle School National Championship this past weekend at the 2026 U.S. Middle School Team Squash Championships played at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center in Philadelphia, PA. More than 90 schools and programs and 500 players participated in this year’s event.
The Greenwich Squash team battled throughout the tournament to win the Division II championship, outlasting 15 other teams to bring home their trophies. The team is composed of Aiden Anderson Rahimtula, David Anderson Rahimtula, Arjun Ankalkoti, and Keegan Hart from Eastern Middle School, and Ryan Chass and Brett Lin from Western Middle School.
Overall, the Greenwich Squash Middle School program combines more than fifty (50) children from all three Greenwich Middle Schools and six Greenwich Elementary Schools.
The Greenwich Squash Middle Schoolers beat four prestigious private high schools with long squash pedigrees on the way to securing its championship. The Greenwich team took on Brunswick School’s B team and won 4-1 in head-to-head matches, bested Greens Farms Academy 3-2, and defeated The Haverford School 4-1, to reach the championship match against The Shipley School. The schools split the first four matches before Greenwich’s Arjun Ankalkoti outlasted his opponent in the championship winning final match.
Co-parent managers Nikki Anderson, Caitlin Wardell, and Jerry Wu noted the tournament victory was a true team effort, with all team members securing key wins throughout the three days. Anderson reflected on the weekend, remarking “We came into Nationals as the #1 seed and that put pressure on us, but the kids remained focused on their goal and were able to leave Philadelphia with big smiles, trophies and a championship banner.” Wardell added “Nationals weekend is a whirlwind with practices, team meals, and homework that still needs to be completed, but our kids were fantastic. We are so proud of them.” Wu completed the parent-managers’ reflections by noting that Greenwich Middle School’s second team (Dante Amoa, Thomas Lange, Sikander Tiwana, Caroline Wardell, Maddie Wu, Sydney Wu, and Chloe Yan) also played their hearts out all weekend and were incredibly supportive of their teammates.
Greenwich Squash’s program directors, Cora Towle and David Chass, celebrated the Middle School’s success and noted that it is Greenwich Squash’s fourth national championship overall, following the High School program’s Boy’s Division IV National Championship in 2024, Girl’s Division IV National Championship in 2019, and Eastern Middle School’s Division II National Championship in 2012 before the Greenwich Middle Schools merged their programs.
Looking back at the tournament as a whole, Greenwich Squash’s coach, Elliot Ridge of MSquash, remarked “The kids were amazing– it’s not easy to face the pressure and challenge of being a top seed, but they stepped up when they needed to and supported each other throughout the tournament. It was so much fun to watch them play their hearts out and dig deep for every point. I am unbelievably proud of each and every one of them.”
Greenwich Squash is a fully parent-volunteer led program which aims to promote the sport of squash in the town’s public schools. Greenwich Squash teams participate in the FairWest Public School Squash Association (FairWest), a league founded in 2008 to support public school squash in Fairfield and Westchester Counties, and surrounding areas. In the 2025-26 season, FairWest had approximately 500 High School players and 200 Elementary and Middle Schoolers participating in the league, making it one of the largest scholastic squash leagues in the United States. If any players or parents are interested in learning more or getting involved with Greenwich Squash, please email greenwich.squash@gmail.com
