Last Friday, the Middlebury men’s squash program bid farewell to its seniors in an emotional ceremony at the Bostwick Family Squash Center, marking the end of an era. The men's team, ranked 17th nationally, celebrated four departing seniors before playing MIT in the last game of their regular season: Captains Alexis Ballo ’25 and Nathan Feinstein ’25, alongside Julian Sandoval ’25 and Will Lichstein ’25. On Feb. 1, the 16th-ranked women's squash team honored captain Abby Holding ’25 in their game against Amherst college.
The ceremonies, organized by teammates, featured heartfelt speeches and personalized posters celebrating each senior's contributions to the program. The event drew a packed house, with parents, professors, friends and supporters from across the Middlebury community in attendance.
"It was definitely really special," Ballo said. "It's emotional to see your four years summarized in a speech or poster, and have your whole team support you so publicly."
The four graduating seniors have each shaped the program in their own unique ways. Ballo, the team captain, excels at creating genuine connections, ensuring every player feels valued regardless of their ladder position. Fellow captain Feinstein serves as the team's "glue guy," in Ballo's words, transforming individual players into a cohesive unit. Lichstein elevates the team’s work ethic through personal example, and Sandoval brings positive energy, maintaining team morale during intense training and high-pressure matches. Together, they’ve built a culture of camaraderie and excellence that will influence the program for years to come.
Despite the festive atmosphere, the men’s team faced tough competition in their final home matches. They fell 7–2 to 19th-ranked MIT on Friday, in a contest that featured several hard-fought battles. Charlie Clifford ’27 delivered an impressive comeback victory in the seventh position, rallying from a 12–10 first-game setback to secure three straight wins (11–8, 11–5, 11–8) against MIT’s Collin Wen. Aditya Kothari ’28 added the Panther’s second point with a commanding 3–0 sweep (11–9, 11–4, 12–10) over Lars Barkman in the eighth position. The match concluded with the evening’s most grueling battle at the fifth position, where Caleb Boateng ’26 and MIT’s Robert Albani traded games before Albani ultimately prevailed 11–9 in the decisive fifth game after an hour and 11 minutes on court, sealing the 7–2 final score.
For the graduating seniors, these matches represented more than just their final home appearances.
"This is probably the best squash that we'll ever play – we've been training for this our entire lives, pretty much, and this is kind of the capstone of everything we've been working for," Ballo said. "It's great to see the growth we've all seen on court. I've definitely seen levels of my game improve, just because of the incredible Mark Lewis."
Under the guidance of head coach Mark Lewis, the program has flourished, particularly through his ability to recruit talented players by prioritizing both athletic excellence and team chemistry.
"He's also just a great coach on the court," Ballo said. "He reads the game very well. He played professionally and has a great understanding of how each of us play, our strengths and weaknesses. When you're in the heat of a match, he's really good at calming you down and focusing you on what needs to be done in your next game."
Coach Lewis, alongside the seniors, has helped foster a distinctly collaborative environment across the men's and women's programs.
"Mark really focuses on the holistic class – guys and girls," Feinstein said. "We're really one team. The women's team and us will be at Nationals the same weekend, so we'll go to all their matches and they'll come to all of ours."
At the start of February, the men’s program strengthened its coaching staff by welcoming back former team captain Teddy Best ’22 as an assistant coach for both the men's and women's teams. Best, who served as captain during the current seniors' first year, has brought valuable perspective and experience mentoring younger players during his time as captain. Working alongside head coach Mark Lewis, Best has helped maintain the program's momentum heading into the national championship.
Both teams now turn their attention to the 2025 College Squash Association Divisional Team Championships this coming weekend at the Arlen Specter U.S Squash Center in Philadelphia. The Panthers are poised for excellence, with both teams aiming for their highest finishes in recent program history.
“It’s a special group to be a part of,” Feinstein said. “Everyone would tell you this is the best team they've been on in the Middlebury squash program.”
Ting Cui (she/her) is a Sports Editor.
Ting has previously contributed as a sports writer and spent the past year in Washington, D.C., where she interned at the National Press Club as a policy analyst and politics writer. She also interned as an Editor at Fair Observer this past summer, focusing on stories related to international politics and security.
Ting is majoring in Political Science and minoring in History. She is also competitive figure skater for Team USA and enjoys hiking, thrifting, and consuming copious amounts of coffee.
