Annandale-on-Hudson, NY — The Bard Raptors are on the rise. After his first season at the helm, head coach Craig Thorpe-Clark is even more excited about the possibilities at Bard. According to Thorpe-Clark, “The team finished very strongly at the CSA team championships, and look to continue that improvement. The early signs are the players have come with a higher level of play.” A rivalry was born last season between Vassar and Bard. The two squads traded matches during the regular season and met again in the finals of the H Division at Team Championships. Tied at 4-4, Vassar won the match in the 5th game of the final individual match. This loss may serve as motivation for the upcoming season. “The players have come back to this school year with great enthusiasm for the upcoming season. There is a real sense of team camaraderie and working together for the betterment of the team. It will be a great year for the Raptors on and off the court,” explains Thorpe-Clark. Senior Jack Smith was a strong leader for the program last season. “His enthusiasm and dedication to practice and team play is what it takes to improve. He works hard and leads by example. Smith spent part of this past summer volunteering at an urban squash program. He is the type of player and person that every program needs to continue to improve,” adds Thorpe-Clarke. With a dedicated team, including three first year students with experience, look for Bard to move up in the rankings this season.
2014-2015 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 4-13
Final Ranking: 58
Team Championships: 2nd in the H Division
By the Numbers (From US Squash): 5-4 Matches Won: 2 of 4… Top 3 Win %: 0.38… Middle 3 Win %: 0.25… Lower 3 Win %: 0.2778
2015-2016 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Varsity
Head Coach: Craig Thorpe-Clark
Returning Players from Team Championships: 2. Matt Lampeter (2017 – Liberty League All-Academic); 3. Jack Smith (2016); 4. Aya Maeda (2018); 5. Abe Etkin (2017); 6. Asad Hashmi (2016); 7. Vikram Joshi (2018); 8. Olivia Cornali (2018); 9. Satwick Srikrishnan (2017); 10. Pranjal Ghate (2018)
Graduated/Non-Returning Players from 2014-2015 Team Championships: 1. John Levering (2015)
Additions to the 2015-2016 Roster:
- Expected to play in the top 3: Rhs Nordstrom (2019, Virginia)
- Expected to play in the middle 3: Julian Dime 2019, Toronto, CA)
- Expected to play in the bottom 3: Olivia Terzian (2018, Haverford, PA)
Team Goals: For the team to continue their hard work, commitment, and dedication to the team, program and each other.
Key Matches: Siena and Vassar
To read other team previews, please visit the 2015-2016 College Squash Season Previews page.