Annie Kagan ’22 is named US Squash All-American, one of 22 female athletes nationally to receive the honor. Annie led the 2021-2022 Sabers Squash Team to an impressive collection of three championship team titles: AAIS Regular Season Champion, AAIS Tournament Champion and NYSAIS Tournament Champion. A senior Co-Captain, Annie has been an instrumental part of the Sabers’ Squash dominance beginning in Grade 8. In that time the Spence Varsity Squash Team has won three AAIS Regular Season Championships, three AAIS Tournament Championships, two NYSAIS Championships, won the US Squash Division II High School Team National Championship and finished #10 in the nation in US Squash Division I. 

 

According to Varsity Squash Coach Benjamin Oliner: “Annie exemplifies all of the best qualities of interscholastic squash: she’s a great athlete, tremendous leader, exemplary role model, fierce competitor and thoughtful tactician. She always gives 100% effort to ensure that she and all of her teammates are best prepared to compete.”

Oliner shares that Annie was one of  two deserving players from the NYC region, nominated by coaches from 10 different schools. “Only two players were selected, and she was selected by vote of the coaches from various institutions based upon her playing level, character, sportsmanship, and overall contributions to interscholastic squash nationally, and, more specifically, the growth of the NYC region,” Coach Oliner shares.

 

Athletic Director, Coni Fichera, lauded Annie’s contribution as both a leader of the squash program and also as a multi-sport student-athlete who has achieved tremendous all-around success at Spence. “Annie approaches every challenge as an opportunity to be great,” Fichera shares. “Her attention to detail is an important tool in her success in the competitive arena and in the classroom, but from the beginning, her drive to be a part of the success of something bigger has been truly enjoyable to witness. What I appreciate most about Annie is her deft leadership by example; she never takes shortcuts, she lifts up her teammates by demonstrating the path to success is achieved through hard work and sacrifice. Annie is the ultimate team player and throughout her career has taken on whatever role her teams have needed from her to achieve success, always doing it with her trademark smile and ‘will do’ attitude. For Annie, it is all about the team, individual accomplishments have only had value to her if they lead to team success. In the biggest moments throughout her career, Annie’s teammates knew they could count on her to lead them but also support them. Even more impressive, Annie has demonstrated, throughout her career, her consistent leadership and drive for success in multiple venues, on the soccer field (2x AAIS Regular Season and AAIS Tournament Champion), the squash court and the badminton court (undefeated at #1 singles).

 

Annie has earned another place in Spence athletic history. She is the third Spence squash player in the School’s history to receive the All-American honor, joining Alexandra Koskosidis ’16, recognized for her outstanding play for Spence the 2013-2014 season and Clara Lehv ’20 honored in 2019-2020.

 

Congratulations Annie Kagan ’22, US Squash All-American.