Chelsea Piers Connecticut Players Produce Record Showing at US Junior Nationals by Erica Bates (Stamford, CT – March 27, 2015)
– Chelsea Piers Connecticut (CPCT) is thrilled to announce that two
members of its Elite Squash Program (ESP) took first place in their
respective age groups at the U.S. Junior Nationals. For the second year
in a row, Marina Stefanoni won the GU13 division, while on the boys’
side, teammate Ian Blatchford won the BU15 division.
In addition to Stefanoni and Blatchford, four other members of the
Chelsea Piers Connecticut ESP placed in the semis or finals of their
respective age groups, including Marina’s sister Lucie Stefanoni, Nina
Mital, Ashley Manning and Kayley Leonard. The younger Stefanoni
finished second in the GU11 division and Manning placed fourth in the
GU13 division. Mital, who reached the finals of the GU13 division after
defeating an opponent she had never previously beaten, finished in
second place behind fellow ESP teammate Marina Stefanoni.
Leonard, who will be competing for the U.S. Junior National Team this
summer before heading to play for Harvard University in the fall,
finished third in the GU19 division and was awarded the DeRoy
Sportsmanship Award at a ceremony after the Championship. The
DeRoy Junior Sportsmanship Award is awarded to one female and one male
high school senior who display exemplary on and off court behavior
while competing at a high level of squash.
“We ended up exceeding our expectations with strong showings in
several age groups for both boys and girls,” commented Natalie
Grainger, Director of Squash at Chelsea Piers Connecticut. “We are
proud of all the players’ performances and look forward to putting the
building blocks in place for next season during the summer.”
The Elite Squash Program, developed by Grainger and led by head coach
Supreet Singh, combined with the excellent team of coaches assembled by
CPCT, provides a healthy and competitive training environment for the
kids. The facility is unmatched in terms of the number of courts and
cross-training opportunities it provides.
“Our program is less than three years old, but we are already seeing
the results of attracting a talented group of players and providing
them with high-level coaching in a fun, supportive and energized
atmosphere,” commented Grainger. “It’s exciting to see the kids improve
their technical and tactical skills quickly and also enjoy the unique,
team-like atmosphere.”
Marina Stefanoni will have to start looking for a bigger trophy case
after an impressive year of tournament finishes. Stefanoni was the top
U.S. finisher at the British Junior Open, U.S. Junior Open girls’ U13
champion, Scottish Junior Open U13 champion, and Canadian Junior Open
girls’ U15 champion. She was also crowned the French Junior Open girls’
U13 division champion, becoming the first American to win a French
Junior Open title.
Top 5 Finish Results:
Darien: Marina Stefanoni – Girls Under 13 Champion
Wilton: Ian Blatchford – Boys Under 15 Champion
Darien: Lucie Stefanoni – Girls Under 11 2nd Place
West Harrison: Nina Mital – Girls Under 13 2nd Place
Harrison: Kayley Leonard – Girls Under 19 3rd Place
Rye: Ashley Manning – Girls Under 15 4th Place
About Chelsea Piers Connecticut
Chelsea Piers Connecticut (CPCT) is a 465,000-square-foot
state-of-the-art sports and recreation facility located in Stamford,
CT, just off I-95 at Exit 9. Opened in July 2012, CPCT features two
indoor ice rinks, an Olympic pool and adjacent 6,000-sq.-ft. Splash
Zone indoor water park, a 14,000-sq.-ft. gymnastics training center, 11
singles and one hardball doubles squash court, seven indoor hard court
tennis courts, an indoor turf baseball/softball training facility and
five batting cages, a 12,000-sq.-ft. Adventure Center featuring a
recreational trampoline center, a 24-foot high rock wall and a Little
Athletes gym for children six months to five years, and a Field House
with a 100-yard turf field, four hardwood basketball/volleyball courts
and a 1/5-mile track.
In December 2014, Chelsea Piers Connecticut opened a world-class 65,000
square-foot health & fitness facility and clubhouse called “CP-AC
Fitness.” The members-only fitness facility features 25,000 square feet
of strength and cardio equipment, a dedicated mind/body center for
Pilates Reformer classes, multi-disciplinary and hot yoga, as well as
traditional group fitness studios and dedicated space for triathlon and
competitive cycling training. There are more than 110 weekly fitness
classes and programs. Additionally, there is a custom Queenax Bridge
studio creating endless possibilities for suspension, boxing and
functional training.
Like Chelsea Piers New York, Chelsea Piers Connecticut combines
world-class athletic facilities with an extensive array of professional
instructors and year-round sports programming for children and adults
of all ages. There are more than 10 teams competing under the Chelsea
Piers Athletic Club umbrella. CPCT is also home to a childcare facility
and preschool, a Harrow pro shop, a grab-and-go café, a 150-seat
restaurant and bar, Stamford Hospital’s 18,500-sq.-ft. Orthopedic and
Spine Institute, CrossFit S-Town and a BlueStreak Sports athletic
training center.
