Shipley sophomore Kate Ulrich recently took home a silver medal in the Girls Under 17 division at the US Squash Junior Championship Tournament, held January 17-19 at the Arlen Specter Squash Center in Philadelphia. 

 

US Squash breaks up tournaments into four different levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and JCTs. JCT’s are the highest-level tournament with 32 spots per age group reserved for the highest-ranked players at the time of the event. 

 

“It is always special to play in a JCT because the spots are so hard to get, and it is amazing being in an environment where the highest level of squash is being played,” said Ulrich.

 

Going into the tournament, Kate was seeded 12th and ultimately finished 2nd.

 

“I was particularly proud of my quarterfinal match, which was my first match on the glass court - a court I have struggled with in the past,” she said. “I won this match 3-0, which I was proud of because in past tournaments I tended to lose focus and drop a game. This match, I consistently played well throughout without losing my focus.”

 

Reflecting on her growth this season, Kate shared:

 

“Since the first JCT in September, I have improved areas of my swing that were weak, and I have added new variations to my game. These included fixing my backhand swing to improve my ball control and incorporating the lob into my game. Other than small technical tweaks, I think mentally I have had the greatest improvement since September. I have started to enter these tournaments trying to focus on the quality of the squash rather than the result. This has allowed me to play more freely without worrying about the seedings, rankings, and everything else that distracts from the actual squash.”

 

Kate has been a member of Shipley’s squash program and has been working with Coach Chris Lengthorn since fourth grade. She credits the program for helping her grow as both a player and teammate.

 

"For the past six years, I have had amazing resources to help me succeed within the Squash Academy, including clinics, lessons, strength and conditioning, and more,” said Ulrich.

 

“I have been able to translate the things I have learned on the court into all aspects of my life,” she said. “The coaches at Shipley have shown me the importance of being a well-rounded student-athlete and that what happens on the court is not the most important. I have learned how to handle losses and things that don't go my way, which has helped in other parts of my life. Being a part of the Girls Varsity program has also helped me grow. Before joining the team, squash was only an individual sport to me. Having spent three years on the team, I've learned not only to focus on my own match but also the team aspect that comes with school squash."

 

“Kate is a great kid who has worked hard at developing her squash game,” said Coach Chris Lenghthorn. “She has always been open to improving her weaknesses and has understood the long-term approach we have taken to her squash, of which she is now really starting to see the benefit. We are all excited to continue to see her grow and improve on and off the court.”