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| Shipley’s Kuensell Leading Shipley Squash While Moving Up the National Rankings |
RISING STAR: The youthful Shipley girls' squash team is looking to make further strides toward improvement, and with more players like junior co-captain Clare Kuensell on the team, the Gators will be putting their teeth into foes more often.Kuensell, who was victorious in the Gators' first two matches this fall, is currently ranked fourth in the girls under-17 division, and 15th in the girls under-19 (nationally). The Shipley junior, who played on the Gators' varsity squad as an eighth-grader, was Shipley's MVP last winter.
"Watching the team grow and develop has been great," said Kuensell. "It's exciting to see the team so involved in the sport and all the energy they bring to the matches."
HELPING NEEDY YOUTHS: For the past two years, Kuensell has been co-chairperson of the Squash-Pediatric Cancer fundraiser at Haverford School which benefits Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Her friend, Lexi Van Arkel of Episcopal Academy, is the other chairperson. "We have raised close to $50,000 for the hospital over the last two years."
-GOING NATIONAL: Kuensell, who is being considered for the U.S. Junior Women's developmental squad, will be traveling to Seattle this month for the U.S. Junior Open, which is now the largest junior squash competition in the world. It's her fifth year competing in the tournament, which includes players from Canada and Mexico.
The Shipley junior first played squash at the Merion Cricket Club at the age of 8. She credits coaches Scott Devoy and Imran Khan as being particularly influential: "They are both amazing players and mentors. They are always there for me during tournaments and help me to get through difficult matches. I can always count on them to be there when I get off the court and put a smile on my face even after a defeat.
"And [Shipley head coach] Shannon Hazell has been great. I played with him when I was younger. He's doing a great job building the program at Shipley."
MAKING A RACQUET: Kuensell, who intends to play squash at the collegiate level, also is a fine tennis player for the Shipley girls' team, and will be the Gators' tennis co-captain next fall.
Racquet sports run in the Kuensell family - Clare's brother Bayard, an eighth-grader at Haverford School, is playing his second year on the Fords' varsity squash team.
Clare is a member of the horticultural program at Shipley, Sprouts, for the past three years, and has displayed exhibits at the Philadelphia Flower Show.
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