Hanover, NH — Kurtz Cup winners Dartmouth dominated the B Division at last season’s Women’s National Team Championships (Howe Cup). They swept Mount Holyoke and Colby, and they defeated Brown 7-2 in the finals. The Big Green are now ready to move back up into the A Division and compete for the Howe Cup.
Key matches for the Big Green will be the teams immediately ahead of them in the rankings: Williams (8), Cornell (7), and Stanford (6). Williams should be within reach, as they narrowly defeated the Big Green 5-4 in January. Of Dartmouth’s five losses, four went to four games, and Williams’s top two players — Toby Eyre and Jennifer Coxe, who both won their matches — have graduated. Dartmouth will have more ground to make up on Cornell, who defeated them 2-7, and Stanford, who won 6-3 when they played last season. Brown will also be an important match for Dartmouth to maintain their position.
The Big Green will return their top four, including captain Hannah Conant, who was Academic All-Ivy, and Valeria Wiens, a First Team All-American who is also one of the few two-sport athletes at Dartmouth, competing for the track and field team in the jumps. Three first-year players will also join the team. Two players from Canada, Kensy Balch and Melina Turk, are expected to play in the middle three ladder spots, and Milton grad Kate Nimmo should contend for a place in the bottom three.
The Dartmouth team has plans to travel to somewhere warm during the winter break so that they’ll be train and work on their fitness outside. Possible destinations include Miami and Mexico.
2009-2010 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 8-8
Final Ranking: 9
Team Championships: 9th Over All; 1st in Kurtz Cup (B Division)
2010-2011 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Varsity
Head Coach: Hansi Wiens
Returning Players from Team Championships: Hannah Conant (4); Maura Doherty (7); Becky Lau (3); Caroline Lindseth (10); Sarah Loucks (6); Corey Schafer (2); Julia Watson (8); Valeria Wiens (1; 1st Team All-American; All-Ivy League Team)
Graduates on Last Season’s Team Championships Roster: Libbey Brown (5; 2009-2010 Captain); Elizabeth Weintraub (9; 2009-2010 Captain)
Additions to the 2010-2011 Roster:
- Expected to play in the middle 3: Kensy Balch and Melina Turk
- Expected to play in the bottom 3: Kate Nimmo
Captain: Hannah Conant
Team Goals: Finish the season in the top 8 in the country and participate in the Howe Cup (A Division)
Key Matches: Williams, Brown, Stanford, and Cornell
To read other team previews, please visit the 2010 – 2011 College Squash Preview Page.
