The 2018 FS Investments U.S. Open Squash Championships opened today at Drexel University with its traditional first-ball ceremony. The honorary starters of this year’s tournament were four people integral to the Open.
Steve DeAngelis, the president of FS Investments Solutions, helped kick off the Open. FS Investments is a leading alternative asset manager founded in 2007 and headquartered in Philadelphia; FS Investments Solutions is its wholly owned broker-dealer subsidiary.
Joining DeAngelis were three students at SquashSmarts. Philadelphia’s award-winning out-of-school-time youth squash and education program, SquashSmarts operates out of Drexel University and the Lenfest Center in North Philadelphia. Founded in 2001, SquashSmarts is the official community partner and program provider for the Arlen Specter US Squash Center. Ranson Gaymon, a sophomore at Boy’s Latin of Philadelphia Charter School and Kayla Atkinson and Tyreese Samuels, middle school students at Overbrook Educational Center, represented SquashSmarts on the court.
Last year’s starter was Laura White, the senior associate athletic director at Drexel. The FS Investments Open was founded in 1954. Since 2011 Drexel has hosted the tournament at the Daskalakis Athletic Center.
