Rochester, NY — The roster for the 2010-2011 Rochester team will be similar to that of the 2009-2010 squad that finished the season ranked 4th in the nation. The one loss in the top 9, however, is a significant one.
Captain Jim Bristow graduated in May with a degree in Financial Economics and the distinction of being the first Rochester player to earn All-American honors in all four years of play. The team Bristow joined as a freshman had finished 25th the year before; by the time he graduated, the team had been ranked as high as 2nd during the 2009-2010 regular season. Bristow earned multiple honors from Rochester for his athletic performance, his academics, and his leadership.
The returning players are also accomplished beyond their successes on the courts. “As a team we have performed very well academically, and as an average we were one of the highest performing teams on campus last year,” head coach Martin Heath reports. “The team players have had a slew of very interesting summer jobs, from internships with the Finnish Broadcasting Corporation to working on the equivalent of Wall Street in Bogota, Colombia.”
The team has plans to make small trips to Toronto and the Tournament of Champions in New York this season. In September they participated in a fun run for Prevent Child Abuse America, and they plan to become more involved in the community. Last year the team spent several days with students from Street Squash.
Adam Perkiomaki will be returning to the team; Perkiomaki played in the bottom third of the ladder during the 2008-2009 season. Karm Kumar of Delhi will also be joining the team, and according to Heath, the two should boost the middle to top of the ladder.
The returners are a decorated group. Co-captains Hameed Ahmed and Beni Fischer are both two-time All-Americans, and they and Matt Domenick, Andres Duany, and Will Newnham were all on the All-Liberty League Team last season.
Heath is optimistic about the state of squash in general at Rochester. “We recently added a women’s club team and a JV team. Both are developing, and they continue to add to the support and profile for squash on campus and in our local community.”
2009-2010 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 10-4
Final Ranking: 4
Team Championships/Conference: 4th Overall; 4th in Potter Cup (A Division); Liberty League Champions
2010-2011 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Varsity
Head Coach: Martin Heath
Returning Players from Team Championships: Hameed Ahmed (3; All-Liberty League; 2009-2010 Captain); Joseph Chapman (7); Matthew Domenick (6; All-Liberty League); Andres Duany (4; All-Liberty League; Liberty League co-Rookie of the Year); Benjamin Fischer (1; 1st Team All-American; All-Liberty League; Liberty League Player of the Year); Juan Pablo Gaviria (9); Edwin Goncharuk (10); Oscar Lopez (8); William Newnham (5; All-Liberty League)
Graduates on Last Season’s Team Championships Roster: Jim Bristow (2; 1st Team All-American; All-Liberty League; 2009-2010 Captain)
Additions to the 2010-2011 Roster: Karm Kumar and Adam Perkiomaki
Captains: Hameed Ahmed and Benjamin Fischer
Team Goals: Stay in the top 4
Key Matches: Cornell, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, and Trinity
To read other team previews, please visit the 2010 – 2011 College Squash Preview Page.
