South Hadley, Mass. - March 31, 2022 - Mount Holyoke College's Mihiliya Kalahe Arachchige (Panadura, Sri Lanka) has been named a finalist for the College Squash Association (CSA) Betty Richey Award, announced on Thursday. The Richey Award, voted on by the CSA coaches, is the most prestigious individual honor given annually to a current women's squash student-athlete.
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.
Mihiliya Kalahe Arachchige has been an integral member of the Lyons' success over the past four seasons. Kalahe Arachchige finished her career at Mount Holyoke with a program-record 66 victories coupled with just nine losses in three competitive seasons. In 2018-19 as a first-year, Kalahe Arachchige was more than impressive, finishing the season with a 23-2 overall record and as the National Runner-Up in the Holleran Cup North Division. That season, Kalahe Arachchige helped Mount Holyoke College earn the CSA Most Improved Team Award, as the Lyons were ranked No. 22 in the country at season's end.
In 2019-20, Kalahe Arachchige continued her impressive play as the then sophomore won two of the first three matches of the season before heading to Nepal, where the psychology major represented her home country of Sri Lanka at the South Asian Games in December of 2019. Kalahe Arachchige helped Sri Lanka claim a bronze medal before returning to Mount Holyoke in January and delivering an individual record of 17-4 down the stretch of the Lyons' season, including a 12-game win streak. After missing the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kalahe Arachchige returned to Mount Holyoke College during the 2021-22 year and finished with an overall record of 17-2 while also claiming victory in the consolation finals of the Holleran Cup East Division at the CSA Individual Championships. At season's end, Kalahe Arachchige was named a CSA Scholar Athlete.
After missing the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kalahe returned to Mount Holyoke College during the 2021-22 year and finished with an overall record of 17-2 while also claiming victory in the consolation finals of the Holleran Cup East Division at the CSA Individual Championships. At season's end, Kalahe was named a CSA Scholar Athlete.
The Richey Award recipient will be announced during CSA's "The Senior Serve", which airs on April 19 at 7 p.m. EST.
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