Senior Profile: Paget Stanco

Graduating senior Paget Stanco women's squash reign at Tufts would never have happened if she did not walk into coach Joe McManus’ office her sophomore year to ask to try out for the team.

Stanco came to Tufts as a student athlete from her high school in Connecticut, but took her first year off athletics in college due to past injuries. By her second year, however, she was ready to enter the college squash scene, and the Tufts women's squash program grew from year to year under Stanco's lead. The team rose from No. 27 her sophomore year to No. 23 this year, and won the “D” Division last year at the CSA Team Nationals, before moving up one division to compete in the “C” Division this year. This progress brought the squash program greater recognition from both the Athletics department and Tufts as a whole.

Stanco played as the No. 1 in the three years she was in the program, and is the only senior to graduate from either the men's or women’s squash teams this year.

“[Playing the number one position as well as being captain] was a lesson in itself, because there was a lot more emotional responsibility too,” she said. “Sometimes it felt like I play a role of 'mom' or 'big sister' — that was the really cool part of being captain these past two years. I felt like I had a leadership role outside of the squash court.”

Stanco is also a two-time All-NESCAC team member, and was the only Tufts player to make either of the ten-player all-NESCAC teams her junior year. Her best moment in squash came in her junior year when she finished with a winning record of 6-5,and was voted in as tri-captain. However, the most memorable part for Stanco was not her first victory over, but her final three matches for the team, all three of which went to five games.

“For me, the Team Nationals were the best weekend of my squash career,” Stanco said. “For all three years, it was always the weekend where it kind of clicked, where everything worked. I hit good shots, I kept my focus and I was just an overall great squash player …  and just [left] it all out on the court.”

In two of those matches, the Jumbos lost. Regardless of the result, however, Stanco demonstrated her resilience as she beat Amherst’s first-year Rachael Ang 7-11, 12-14, 11-6, 11-4, 11-3 and Hamilton’s senior Rachel Newman 11-4, 5-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-5.

Stanco played her final game for the Jumbos at the College Squash Association Individual Championships in Stamford, Conn. on March 5. Her swan song pitted her against one of her toughest opponents ever in Wellesley’s sophomore Sarah Zhang, losing 11-6, 9-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5. At the end of the game, Stanco hugged her opponent, someone she feels that she has always played superb matches against, and left the court as a proud squash player.

“In my last game, I had tears running down my face in mid-point because I was so overwhelmed by the emotion [and support from the women’s and men’s team who were playing at Yale that day as well] and the support from my family, previous coaches and friends," Stanco said. "I had come all this way, committed to the whole process and that it truly became such an important part of my life.” 

Stanco, who will graduate with as an art history major, will be staying in the Boston area after Tufts. She hopes to continue to contribute to the program in a different capacity because she can't imagine not being a part of the program.

“Oh no, I definitely need this,” she said.