Hayley Parsons and James Watson Lead St. Luke’s Squash in 2013-14

Hayley Parsons ’14 of New Canaan and James Watson ’14 of Darien begin their final season on the St. Luke’s School varsity squash teams as senior captains, playing in the #1 position on their respective teams. Both students are highly ranked squash players who have competed in U.S. Junior Squash tournaments for years.

Parsons has played in the #1 position on the girls squash team since the 8th grade, having won most of her matches against top competitors. Last year as a junior, Parsons was undefeated in the regular season, without ever dropping a single game. Her only loss of the season was in a close match in the finals of the New England B Championships. Parsons is a Scholar Athlete and finished 11th in her age group in the 2013 U.S. Junior Squash Championships.

Watson has played on the varsity boys squash team since the 8th grade. A US Squash Scholar Athlete all of his high school years, he has competed in many US Squash tournaments and was the 2013 U.S. Junior Squash Championships finalist in his age group. Watson played in the #1 position for the U.S. Team that competed this past summer in the 2013 Ontario-American Challenge in White Oaks, Niagara-on-the-Lake, winning the fourth title in as many years for the United States.

Cat McLeod and Renee Judd, coaches of the boys’ and girls’ teams respectively, are excited about the season ahead and the prospects of all of the players. Although the teams are young, they have amazing talent and enthusiasm. McLeod stated “It has been an absolute pleasure to watch Hayley and James develop their squash games over the years. Through hard work and dedication, both players have turned from talented kids into mature players.  They show fantastic physical prowess as well as mental composure when under pressure. Most impressive to me is their ability to inspire and motivate their teammates. They lead by example on the court and offer valuable support to their teams when off the court. I can’t wait to see what all of the St. Luke’s players deliver in the future.”

The St. Luke’s Boys have a 5-1 record so far this season, and just scored a convincing 4-3 win over New Canaan High School over the weekend at Chelsea Piers CT in Stamford. The Girls also came out on top this weekend, breaking through with a 5-2 win over Rye High School.