Molly Stoltz (left) with junior player Rehan Luthra from Kirkland, Washington displaying their US Squash Sportsmanship Awards
By Staff
March 23, 2022: This past weekend, four Bronxville junior squash players traveled to Philadelphia to participate in the U.S. Squash Junior Championship held at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center.
These players are Molly Stoltz (Girls Under 19), Ellie Clifford (Girls Under 17), Rustin Wiser (Boys Under 17), and Knox Vitrano (Boys Under 13). To qualify, each player achieved national rankings in the top thirty-two positions of their age group.
Molly Stoltz had the strongest performance of the weekend, finishing #4 in the Girls Under 19 Division. Molly, currently a senior at the Bronxville High School, has maintained a national ranking in the top 3 of every age group since the Under 11s. She is currently ranked #3 in the Girls Under 19s in the United States and will be playing for Harvard University next year.
Stolz was also presented with the 2022 DeRoy Sportsmanship Award at the tournament this weekend. This award is given to one female and one male graduating high school senior "who displayed exemplary behavior on and off the court while competing at a high level of junior squash."
In reflecting on her junior squash career, Stoltz said, "Junior squash has given me so much over the years. I’ve met so many people from across the country and the world that I never would have without squash and I’m truly grateful to the sport for that.” Her mother, Sheila, added "It is the end of an era for the Stoltz family. We feel so blessed to have been able to share this sport as a family and meet so many around the country and the world."
Rustin Wiser, a 10th grader at the Bronxville School, also had a strong performance at the tournament. Wiser won his first two matches without dropping a game before falling to the #3 seed, Andrew Glaser, in the quarter-finals. Wiser ultimately finished an impressive 7/8 in the Boys Under 17 Division. Wiser is currently ranked #6 in the nation in the Boys Under 17 Division.
Rustin Wiser
Eleanor Clifford, an 11th grader at Bronxville High School, also had a strong performance at nationals. Clifford, who played in the Girls Under 17 division, played a total of six matches in the tournament and won five of them. She ultimately won the Consolations and finished 9th overall. Clifford is currently ranked #9 in the nation in the Girls Under 17 Division.
Eleanor Clifford
Knox Vitrano, a 7th grader from Bronxville, also had a strong performance at nationals, finishing #13-16 in the Boys Under 13 Division. Vitrano won his first-round match easily and faced the #1 seed in the second round. Vitrano went on to the Consolation draw and prevailed in his next match. Vitrano, who is currently the #19 ranked Boys Under 13 Division in the country, has a bright squash future ahead of him.
Knox Vitrano