Brunswick, ME — Bowdoin ended up in the middle of the C Division pack last season, wrapping up the year with wins over Georgetown and William Smith at the Women’s National Team Championships (Howe Cup).
Every player on the team contributed at least one win during championships, and number 1 Lauren Gesswein, number 4 Monica Wlodarczyk, and number 5 Bonnie Cao went undefeated on the weekend. All three players will be back next season, and Gesswein, a 2009-2010 All-NESCAC selection, will be captain. The team did not graduate any players last year, but several players from the bottom of the line-up — Katie Boyce (number 7), Katie Woo (number 8), Isabel Nassief (number 10), and Gillian Hannon (number 11) — will not be with the team this season. The Polar Bears will, however, get a new player with squash experience, Green Farms grad Christiana Whitcomb.
In early December, the Polar Bears will get a chance to play the teams that finished 1-2 in the Walker Cup (C Division): George Washington and Vassar. Bowdoin didn’t play Vassar last season, and they lost to GW 3-6 last January. Vassar and GW were very evenly matched by the end of last season, and there were close matches throughout the C Division last year. How Bowdoin fares against Vassar and GW should give some indication of how the C competition will go this season — and if any of these teams might be ready to move up to the next level.
2009-2010 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 8-12
Final Ranking: 21
Team Championships: 21st Over All; 5th in Walker Cup (C Division)
2010-2011 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Varsity
Head Coach: Tomas Fortson
Returning Players from Team Championships: Alex Peacock-Villada (6); Bonnie Cao (5); Elizabeth Schetman (3); Lauren Gesswein (1; 1st Team All-NESCAC;); Lizzy Warner (2); Louisa Cannell (8); Monica Wlodarczyk (4)
Graduates on Last Season’s Team Championships Roster: None
Additions to the 2010-2011 Roster: Christiana Whitcomb
Captain: Lauren Gesswein
Team Goals: Improve and enjoy
To read other team previews, please visit the 2010 – 2011 College Squash Preview Page.
