Photos credit: Chris McClintick, Director of Communications at US Squash
Trinity College secured the 2025 CSA Women’s Team National Championship (Howe Cup) in dramatic fashion on Sunday, March 9, defeating Harvard University 5-4 in a match that came down to the final court. The top-seeded Bantams and second-seeded Crimson battled for over three hours, with momentum shifting throughout the morning before Trinity ultimately emerged victorious. With the win, Trinity successfully defended its national title, securing back-to-back championships.
Harvard struck first, as Brecon Welch earned a four-game victory over Fabiola Cabello to put the Crimson on the board. Lucie Stefanoni followed with a hard-fought five-game win against Noa Romero, giving Harvard a 2-0 lead. Moments later, Hanna Chukwu responded for Trinity, battling past Habeeba Eldefrawy in five games to earn the Bantams’ first point.
Trinity continued to gain ground when Varvara Esina defeated Emma Carney in four games, leveling the overall score at 2-2. Harvard quickly regained the lead as Caroline Fouts overcame Jana Safy in four games, making it 3-2 in favor of the Crimson. Meanwhile, Luján Palacios was in the middle of a grueling contest with Molly Stoltz, ultimately winning in five games to bring the match to 3-3.
As the final wave of matches got underway, Janna Ashmawy delivered a crucial win for Trinity, defeating Amira Singh in straight games to give the Bantams their first lead of the match. Saran Nghiem answered for Harvard, defeating Malak Ashraf Kamal in four games to tie the score again at 4-4. With the national championship on the line, the final match between Trinity’s Kara Lincou and Harvard’s Ocean Ma took center stage. With a packed crowd surrounding Court 4, Lincou held her nerve, securing a straight-game victory and clinching the Howe Cup for Trinity.
The 5-4 win sealed the Bantams’ second consecutive national championship, completing a championship run as the tournament’s #1 seed. The final match was a fitting conclusion to an incredibly competitive weekend, with both teams displaying remarkable skill and resilience.
