Women's Squash Welcomes Three to Class of 2022
June 1, 2018
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia head squash coach Mark Allan announced the addition of Caroline Baldwin (Rye, N.Y.), Amanda Haywood (Christ Church, Barbados) and Emma Jinks (Prince Edward Island, Canada) on Friday (June 1).
“On paper, all three of our incoming recruits look likely to start in positions toward the top end of the roster and as a result, they will strengthen our team significantly,” head coach Mark Allen said. “Just like the men, I am anticipating the women’s team challenging for a top-10 finish in the college rankings next year. Furthermore, they all had great visits to UVA this past year and based on their interactions with the current members I am very confident they are going to fit in perfectly on our program and love being at UVA. Even though squash is an individual sport, team chemistry in college squash is so important. We place great emphasis on finding the right personalities to fit our program and in Baldwin, Haywood and Jinks I am certain we have players that are going to contribute very positively to our program and our University.”
Baldwin is a four-time varsity letterwinner from Rye High School. During her high school career, she was named a three-time All-American in addition to serving as team captain twice. Peaking with a No. 12 ranking in the GU19 national rankings, Baldwin has maintained a top-15 ranking since competing in the GU13 age bracket. She finished her senior season undefeated at the No. 1 position. Baldwin has also competed in the British open, representing the U.S. in the competition. Baldwin is a four-time U.S. squash scholar-athlete. She was named Lions Club Athlete of the Month.
Haywood enters UVA after competing for Barbados at the 2018 Gold Coast Games, advancing to the second round of the consolation finals. She is currently the No. 2 ranked player for her country. In 2016, Haywood earned the Barbados Olympic Association’s Outstanding Junior Award. That same year she was crowned the badminton champion at the Barbados Olympic Association’s 50th Anniversary games. She was named the 2012 Barbados Olympic Association Outstanding Performance award and the 2012 National Sports Council Youth Award for her performance on the court. Haywood was a three-time Caribbean Regional Champion for the under 13, 15 and 17 age groups. Academically, Haywood was her high school’s valedictorian. She earned the Soroptimist International Award for Excellent Work in business studies, Best All-Around Female Athlete and the Dr. Sean Bernstein Award as the female student of the year for the 2015-16 academic year. Additionally, Haywood was awarded the Outstanding Performance in Mathematics her senior year.
Jinks joins the Cavaliers as the top-ranked junior player out of Canada. At the 2017 World Junior Squash Championships in New Zealand, Jinks played at Canada’s No. 1 position for the tournament, in addition to being selected as the team’s flag bearer during the opening ceremonies. She is a four-time national champion, earning the honor at the GU13, GU15, GU17 and GU19 levels. Jinks played in the 2015 Canada Winter Games, aiding Prince Edward Island to a fifth-place finish, the best finish in her province’s history. That same year, she finished second in Germany’s Pioneer Open. Jinks also played at the 2015 and 2017 British Junior Open finishing 13th at the U17 level and 18th at the U19 level, respectively. She was the Canadian Junior Open champion in 2017. Jinks is a three-time recipient of the Sport PEI Junior Female Athlete of the Year Award.