GILMAN SWEEPS ST. PAUL’S FOR THIRD STRAIGHT MIAA SQUASH CROWN
GREYHOUNDS CONTINUE THEIR DOMINANCE ON THE COURT
by Eric Bem
It’s been quite a journey for the seniors on Gilman’s squash team.
The quartet of savants never tasted defeat in the MIAA playoffs. Wednesday, the Greyhounds captured their third consecutive championship with a 7-0 victory over St. Paul’s in Brooklandville.
“Gilman squash has had a really great legacy,” Greyhound senior Jason Sutton said. “Our team has been really special. I am happy to close it out with a win. We still have more work to do. We still have to look forward to Nationals. We are trying to be the best Gilman team ever and leave an even bigger legacy.”
Junior Issac Mitchell got the Greyhounds off to a strong start, winning all three of his games in dominating fashion 11-3, 11-2 and 11-2. Senior Charlie Fenwick followed suit with a sweep to stake Gilman to a 2-0 lead .
Sutton had a little more trouble closing out his match with a highly competitive third game that ended 11-7. Sophomore Parker Davis provided a glimpse of his bright future at the school, closing the deal with Gilman’s fourth win on the day.
The Greyhounds followed by closing out play with three more victories, including one by senior Saraj Dillon. It was the 13th MIAA title in 15 seasons for Gilman (9-1 overall).
Senior Tommy Soltanian said it’s dedication and hard work that has made Gilman into a dynasty.
“We have a pretty strong team atmosphere,” Soltanian said. “We are always training hard. As a team we are all motivated and passionate about the sport. We workout in the mornings before school and then after school. We have a few players that are always playing together [and that] motivates others.”
“Their development and growth has led us to the highest ranking that we have had nationally last year,” said Gilman coach Doug DeSmit, whose team was ranked No. 8 nationally. “It’s a tribute to their dedication to the sport.”
The only time the Greyhounds haven’t won the MIAA title was the 2020-21 campaign (no season due to COVID-19) and 2017 to 2019 when McDonogh went back-to-back.
DeSmit said he is most proud of his seniors’ ability to immediately take on a leadership role despite missing out on mentorship from older players.
“They missed out of having leaders in front of them [due to COVID],” said DeSmit, whose team will next compete at the U.S. National championships in Philadelphia, Feb. 24-26. “The thing I am most proud of that with this group is that they have managed to be leaders despite not having that example in front of them.”
St. Paul’s coach Eric Roberts has seen his squad fall to Gilman in each of the last four MIAA championship finals. He was pleased with his team’s play in the final match Wednesday, despite the outcome, and noted how the quality of squash in the MIAA has improved drastically over the last several seasons.
“We always aspire to be on top and get that trophy like Gilman,” said Roberts, whose team finished 6-2. “It gives us motivation throughout the season. They are a great team and a good group of guys. They have a strong pipeline and so do we. We have a great new coach here that has helped bring kids into our program. [The future] is definitely hopeful. Regardless of who’s on their team, we are going to work as hard as we can to be on top and be the best we can possibly be.”