Meagan Best Named Finalist for Richey Award

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia women’s squash senior Meagan Best has been named one of three finalists for the 2024 Betty Richey Award, as announced by the College Squash Association.

Best, Wen Li Lai of Cornell University and Marina Stefanoni of Harvard University are the other two finalists.

Top candidates for the Richey Award are those players who best exemplify the ideals of squash in their love of and devotion to the game, their strong sense of fairness, and their excellence in play and leadership. Nominees are also praised for their cooperation with opponents, coaches, and competition officials and their overall contributions to intercollegiate squash.

Best is the most decorated women’s player in UVA’s program history with a list of accolades that includes two All-America selections, including being the only player in program history to earn First Team honors. She is also a two First-Team All-MASC selections and the 2023 MASC Player of the Year. She was also named Most Improved Player by her team as she continuously works to improve, finding herself as a top female competitor in the CSA. The team captain has a 9-3 record this season while playing at the top of the ladder.

“These individual achievements reflect the extraordinary talent and dedication that Meagan possesses, but it is the way that she shares her gifts with the entire program that makes her such a special player and such a valuable member of our team and our community,” said head coach Mark Allen. “Over the course of her career at UVA, Meagan has afforded her coaches and teammates countless moments of joy, excitement, and laughter. Her ability to activate a ferocious on-court persona and style of play while remaining fair, honest, and poised in the most intense matches makes her the sort of player that people love to watch and love to root for”.

The recipient of the 2024 Betty Richey Award will be announced during the CSA@100 Patron Event on Friday, March 1, starting at 5:00 p.m. The Richey Award is presented by the Aziz Family, strong supporters of the College Squash Association and Yale Squash.