The Kneisel Squash Center opens

On Sunday, November 21,2010, Hopkins School opened the Kneisel Squash Center and dedicated four of the Center’s six courts.  One hundred-fifty enthusiastic guests celebrated this wonderful occasion, watching the Hopkins squash team and several renowned squash players inaugurate the courts.  Ahmed Hamza from Alexandria, Egypt; Liam Kenny, the six-time Irish Champion; Natalie Grainger, 2003 top-ranked player in the world and today, the #1-ranked American woman player; and Lynn Leong, four-time All-American at Trinity College and head squash pro at the New Haven Lawn Club, were among those special participants.  Also participating in exhibition matches were Lily Lorentzen (for four years, the U.S. under-19 National Champion, who played Number One, first for Harvard and then for Stanford); and Manek Mathur from Mombai, India (who played on four national championship teams for Trinity College).  All six courts were in play, while guests enjoyed refreshments and then brief remarks by President of the Hopkins Committee of Trustees, David Newton 1967 HGS; Head of School Barbara Riley; former Hopkins Trustee,  David Swensen P 2005, 2006, Hopkins squash coaches Bill Ewen and Brad Czepiel; and former President of the Hopkins Committee of Trustees, Bill Kneisel 1965 HGS, for whom the Squash Center is named.

The four courts currently named are the John F. Skillman Court, the David F. Swensen Court, the William L. Ewen Court,  and the William J. Kneisel Court.  All in attendance that night agreed that the adaptive re-use of the Old Gym/Cage is quite remarkable; the 75-year old structure appears to have been designed with the Squash Center in mind.