Photos Courtesy of Chris McClintick, Director of Communications at US Squash
Franklin and Marshall celebrated 50 years of women’s squash at the College during the 2024-25 season, marked by the team’s impressive finish at the College Squash Association (CSA) Divisional Nationals in March. Both the women’s and men’s teams finished second in their respective division.
The women’s squash program at F&M began in 1974 and, since then, the team has produced 10 All-Americans and has inducted 9 players into the F&M Athletic Hall of Fame. The team joined the Mid-Atlantic Squash Conference in 2019 and hosted the Championship in Lancaster this season.
At CSA Nationals, the women’s team competed against Haverford College on day 1, winning eight out of their nine matches and advancing to the semi finals in the Walker Cup Division. The team competed against Chatham University the following day, beating the Cougars 7-2. The Diplomats advanced to the finals against Wesleyan, falling to the Cardinals in the final day of tournament play, 8-1.
When asked about the women’s team’s performance at Nationals, Head Coach Gavin Jones said, “The women’s team faced a challenging season, consistently up against top-tier competition. Every match, they left everything on the court and demonstrated tremendous growth as a team. As the season progressed, their bond strengthened and their competitive edge sharpened. Their journey culminated in an impressive run at Nationals, where they reached the final of the Walker Cup, falling only to Wesleyan. I’m incredibly proud of their development and the unity they built throughout the season.”
The men’s team competed in the Hoehn Cup, beginning their weekend against Amherst College, and winning 7-2 to advance to the semi finals. The team played Middlebury the following day, edging the Panthers 6-3 to advance to the finals against Western Ontario. The team fought hard and came close to the national title, but ultimately lost 5-4. Coach Jones remarked, “The men’s team had an up-and-down season, marked by flashes of brilliance that truly came together at Nationals. Their performance at Nationals was both inspiring and heartbreaking. After going down 4-1 in the final against Western Ontario, the team fought back with incredible heart to level the score at 4-4, only to narrowly lose 5-4. Despite the outcome, I couldn’t be prouder of their performance, dedication, and passion. It was a remarkable season that showcased what this team is truly capable of.”
For Coach Jones, the 2025 Divisional Nationals was the first time he saw both his men’s and women’s team through to the finals. Reflecting on this weekend, Jones commented, “Having both the men’s and women’s teams reach the finals at Nationals was an unforgettable achievement. As a coach, witnessing the daily commitment, sacrifice, and determination of our student-athletes is truly inspiring. Our goal was to make it to the finals, and both teams rose to the occasion. I am so proud of how far they’ve come and all they’ve accomplished this season.”
The F&M men’s and women’s squash teams have picked up many impressive end-of-season awards:
All-MASC Honors
- Men’s All-MASC First Team: Kyle Broadhurst
- Men’s All-MASC Second Team: Sharan Punjabi, Marco DiFilippo
- Women’s All-MASC Second Team: Gurlin Kaur
MASC All-Academic Team
(GPA 3.5 and above)
- Men: Alexander Arader, Aditya Chandani, Marco DiFilippo, Arjun Jaswal, Noah Katzer, Evann Tan
- Women: Rory Dasher, Zarine Gidwaney, Gurlin Kaur, Destiny Ponce, Lavanya Seshasayee
College Squash Association Scholar-Athlete Award
(Awarded to juniors and seniors with a GPA of 3.5 or above)
- Men: Marco DiFilippo, Noah Katzer, Evann Tan
- Women: Zarine Gidwaney, Gurlin Kaur, Destiny Ponce
Looking ahead to next season, “I’m incredibly excited about the future of squash at F&M—especially with our Women’s program leaping Division I. The foundation is strong, and the future is bright,” says Coach Jones.
Congratulations to both teams for a phenomenal season and to the women’s team for this incredible program milestone!
First-Year Chi Truong is a Contributing Writer. Her email is ctruong@fandm.edu.