The Men’s Squash team took a road trip to the Constitution State this weekend to wrap up their season in the 2023 College Squash Association (CSA) National Collegiate Team Championships at Trinity College and Wesleyan University. The team entered the weekend ranked 24th nationally, good enough to qualify for the Summers Cup bracket in the CSA’s C Division.
In Friday’s quarterfinal match, Hamilton fell to 17th-ranked Massachusetts Institute of Technology by a score of 7–2 at Trinity College’s George A. Kellner Squash Courts. Tate Suratt ’24 led the way for the Continentals, picking up a victory at the second lineup position in an exciting four-game contest. This was Suratt’s fifth victory of the season. Tate Burgin ’25 also turned in a notable performance at the eighth position. He also picked up his fifth win of the season, taking the first game of the set and leading the second by a score of 11–8, at which point his opponent retired.
In the consolation draw at the Rosenbaum Squash Center at Wesleyan University on Saturday, Hamilton dropped a 7–2 decision to 21st-ranked Middlebury College. Suratt once again came up big, picking up his team-leading sixth win of the season in a four-game battle, once again at the second position. This was his 24th win adorning a buff and blue uniform. Nicholas Carabastos ’24 also put in an inspiring performance, picking up a four-game win at the ninth position, his fifth win of the season.
In their final contest of the season on Sunday, Hamilton suffered a 9–0 defeat at the hands of 23rd-ranked Colby College at Wesleyan’s Rosenbaum Squash Center. Injury woes plagued the Continentals in this matchup — they missed the talented racquet of Tobey Suratt ’26, who was slated to play at the first position on Sunday. Suratt was forced to retire during Saturday’s matchup against Middlebury.
Despite the results on paper, the men’s squad came away from the weekend, and the season, with a positive assessment of their performance and an eye towards a bright future. After playing for the Conroy Cup last year as a member of the CSA’s D Division, Hamilton advanced into the Summers Cup bracket this season, and thus faced stiffer competition. With the achievement of being placed into a higher bracket now behind them, the Continentals look to sustain their 2022–23 accomplishments and take their performance to new heights next season.
Regardless of the outcome, this Hamilton men’s squash team has a great deal to be proud of. With a full roster of starters returning for next year, this squad is poised to build upon the highs and lows of this season, and to put together an even more successful campaign in the 2023–24 season.