Kalahe Arachchige Finishes as National Runner-Up in Holleran Cup North Division

Photo of Lyons squash player, Mihiliya Kalahe Arachchige at the 2019 CSA Individual Nationals. Photo by Nadindhi Udangawa '19.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Action at the 2019 CSA Individual National Championships concluded for Mount Holyoke College on Sunday, capped by another strong and outstanding effort from rookie Mihiliya Kalahe Arachchige.

After a successful opening round, quarters and semifinals, Kalahe Arachchige played in the Holleran Cup B Division North Championship on Sunday afternoon. She squared off against Trinity's Akanksha Salunkhe. Opening with an 11-9 victory, she could not hold off Salunkhe despite several tough battles in the second and fourth games. The final match score was 9-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-9.

Her effort moved her final record in her rookie season to 23-2 as the runner-up in the Holleran B North national title.

 

Kalahe Arachchige cruised to an 11-2, 11-3, 11-3 victory in the opening round of this year's Individual Nationals against Haverford's Kaitlin Reese. Next up in the quarterfinals, she faced off against Stanford's Amita Gondi. In a tough battle, Kalahe Arachchige prevailed in five by an 11-7, 11-4, 2-11, 6-11, 11-9 margin.

She then squared off against Columbia's Jui Kalgutkar in this morning's semifinals. She opened the match with an 11-4 win, but Kalgutkar responded with an 11-3 victory of her own. The Lyons rookie rebounded in the final two games, winning by an 11-4, 3-11, 11-3, 11-3 score.

The Lyons, who were awarded the CSA Most Improved Team for 2018-19, also saw senior Nadindhi Udangawa compete at nationals this weekend. Despite an opening loss, she battled back to win in the Holleran East B Division Cup consolation semifinals against Tufts' Claire Davidson by an 11-4, 11-5, 12-10 margin. Despite a hard-fought effort in the opening game where she fell 12-10, Udangawa could not hold off Columbia's Jane Pincus in the semifinals, who won by a 12-10, 11-3, 11-4 score.