A decade of dominance.

That’s exactly what Greenwich Academy’s Varsity A squash team has enjoyed, winning the Division I title at the ultra-competitive U.S. High School Team Squash Championships for 10 straight seasons.

Greenwich Academy achieved a Perfect 10 on Feb. 22nd at the Arlen Specter Squash Center in Philadelphia, Pa., defeating Hotchkiss School, 5-2, in the championship match of Division I at the U.S. High School Team Squash Championships. It has truly been a Perfect 10 for the Gators, since a finals loss at the national tournament in 2015, amassing an extraordinary 174-match winning streak since then.

“Winning another national title at the 2026 U.S. High School Team Championships in Philadelphia is almost hard to put into words but I’ll give it a go,” said Greenwich Academy head squash coach Luke Butterworth, who has guided GA to its last 10 U.S. squash championships. “To lead this team to a tenth straight national championship is something I carry with enormous pride and gratitude.”

“The decade of dominance wasn’t built on talent alone, it’s been built on a collective culture, trust, high-standards, and a shared belief in something bigger than any individual result, and that’s togetherness,” Butterworth continued. “More than anything, I’m proud of all the girls who have represented our teams past and present. Championships are the visible reward but what people don’t always see is the daily commitment behind them from both the athletes training and their implementation and trust of my vision on how to be successful year on year as the pressure increases.”

“Relationships have been built through this program and I can safely say that players have become not only champions through our program but even better student athletes, and more importantly, good people,” Butterworth noted.

Achieving an undefeated season, advancing to and winning the final of the Division I bracket at the U.S. Squash Championships required a great deal of effort, time, commitment and dedication from every member of the team as Butterworth notes.

“The dedication this group has shown is extraordinary,” he said. “Making the GA Squash A team is incredibly difficult, the girls who make it show dedication like no other. They work hard when no one is watching, they reflect on highs and lows on how to improve even the smallest of details. Ten straight national titles do not happen by accident. They happen because players choose excellence daily and don’t take anything for granted. They push each other in practice, holding one another accountable to the high standards set every single day.”

Charlotte Tompkins and Elle Graziano served as the Gators’ captains and they fulfilled their leadership roles perfectly.

“Our captains and players this season have been instrumental in sustaining our culture,” Butterworth said. Co-Captain, Charli (Charlotte) Tompkins, a senior, headed to the University of Virginia in the fall, led the team by example, providing care and attention to her teammates throughout the year. Co-Captain, Elle Graziano, a junior and returning to the squad next year, brought positive energy especially to the team at the championships and showed her toughness by coming back from 2-0 in the final to clinch a point for the team.”

Graziano won her match against her Hotchkiss opponent in the Division I final, 4-11, 11-13, 11-9, 11-4, 11-2, winning three consecutive games at the No. 4 spot. She was a 3-0 winner in the tournament’s semifinals against Westover and swept her foe from Rye Country Day School, 3-0, in the quarterfinals.

Tompkins, who played at the No. 3 spot, was victorious for GA, 3-0, in the semifinals and was also a 3-0 victory in the quarterfinals. Chelsea Chen played at the No. 1 position for GA and impressively prevailed in the Division I final in the National Tournament against her Hotchkiss foe, 3-1. Chen swept to a 3-0 win against Westover in the tourney’s semifinals.

Freshman Claire Ji enjoyed a standout season at the No. 2 spot for the Gators and Lily Bragg, who went undefeated this season, won all of her matches at the U.S. Championships, 3-0.

Butterworth noted that “Sara Rahimtula and Caitlin Buford provided the team incredible strength in the sixth and seventh positions respectively. Claire Gillott and Sophie Kwun rounded out our team’s strength and performed excellently when called upon this year.”

After sweeping Westover School and Rye Country Day School, 7-0, in the quarterfinals and semifinals of the National Tournament, top-seeded GA was, indeed, tested against second-seeded Hotchkiss in the title match.

“Defeating Hotchkiss School 5–2 to secure the national championship was a battle worthy of a final,” Butterworth recalled. “In my 12 years at GA, we have had some very close battles since losing in my first year final against Baldwin, and I must say, this was the closest and best spectacle I’ve been involved in.”

“The atmosphere in Philadelphia was electric, the energy was intense, and every court felt alive with tension,” Butterworth noted. “You could feel the stakes in the air not just because it was a championship final, but because it was two elite programs competing at the highest level.”

“Hotchkiss pushed us all the way in every position,” he continued. “That’s what makes a championship meaningful, earning it against a truly strong opponent. When the match clinched and the team result became official, there was a release of emotion, pride, relief and pure joy. Watching the athletes embrace, knowing that they achieved our goal of winning a tenth straight and pretty historic title was a moment I will savor for a long time.”

Butterworth assistant coaches Jamie Sutcliffe and Arturo Barreto for their support.

“A program like this is never the product of one person, it’s a collaborative effort,” he said.

As for coaching a premier squash program at Greenwich Academy, which always has championship aspirations?
Coaching the GA Squash team over the past twelve years has been one of the great privileges of my career,” Butterworth said. “The girls are talented of course but more importantly, they are coachable. I will never forget the feeling we all had after losing the title in my first year as coach, and equally the lessons I learnt from the loss. We stand here today without a loss since that match in 2015, which is a pretty impressive record of 174 wins since!

Each year my goal is of course to win a national championship, but to also create a sense of pride in the program throughout the entire school,” he continued. “It starts in third grade PE introducing the girls to squash as part of their winter programming and seeing them get excited about the program is heartwarming to me.”

“Seeing the program continue to blossom and dominate is deeply meaningful. Sustained success requires evolution adapting to new challenges, developing new ways of coping with the increasing pressure to keep the streak alive and maintaining hunger.”

Ten straight national championships is not just a statistic. It’s a testament to culture, character, and collective belief and I couldn’t be prouder than what I am right now.”