Born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine, Trinity College women's squash senior captain Nadiia Usenko brings more than athletic excellence to Trinity sports.
Following in her parents' footsteps, Usenko grew up playing various racket sports, including tennis and badminton. She picked up squash at nine years old and, three years later, participated in her first international squash tournament.
Despite her success in squash as a young adult, it was not until Usenko competed in the Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital Open in 2015 in the United States that she learned about collegiate squash. She knew then that she wanted to compete at a top program in the States. She said, “I did research and found the list of the top college squash teams in the country.” From her list, Trinity was at the top.
During only her second visit to the United States, Usenko toured Trinity with her parents. Shortly after, she recalls deciding that Trinity was her first choice. On her decision to play for the Bantams, Usenko said, “It is difficult to create a team… where every player strives for success, has fire in their eyes when they enter the squash court and who wants to become the best in the country. But Trinity is exactly the team where players create this mindset, and I am really grateful to be part of it.”
Trinity Head Women's Squash Coach Wendy Bartlett speaks to Usenko’s excellence on the court, saying “She is one of the best players on the team and has an incredible work ethic. She has always been one of our top players, physically and mentally. She takes her leadership role so seriously and is a great captain.”
Usenko exemplified her leadership skills long before her time as a Trinity athlete in her role as captain of the Ukranian National Squash Team that she has held since since 2018. However, she takes little credit for the work she puts in: “I am not working alone. Assistant coach Rodrigo Porras and Head Coach Wendy Bartlett guide me and help to make the best decisions to benefit the team.”
Usenko’s dedication extends beyond the squash courts. She majors in language and cultural studies with a concentration in Italian and Spanish and a minor in writing and rhetoric. She has made the NESCAC All-Academic team two years in a row, was inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma (the National Scholar-Athlete Honor Society), and was named President’s Fellow Language and Culture Studies. Coach Bartlett said, “She works extremely hard academically. She is very humble and flies under the radar so you would never know that she is one of the top students at Trinity.”
While many would struggle with Usenko's rigorous academic and athletic schedule, she says, “The time I have is exactly enough to study and play squash, and I couldn’t ask for more.”