Berkeley, CA — The 2014 – 2015 California Berkeley men’s squash team will have a plethora of players. After all, they did not graduate any players from last season’s team championships roster, and they are expecting five new players to compete for positions throughout the top 9 ladder positions. According to tri-captain Kjell Ekman, the Golden Bears are looking to “build on the strengths of last year’s team and pick up momentum early on in the season that we can carry into nationals.” The team will be working with a new coach, Thomas Lowish. Cal’s rivalry with USC remains extremely competitive. Last season, the two squads split their two matches. For Cal to make a move in the rankings, they will need to play more teams, especially squads ranked between 35th and 50th in the national rankings. After making it to the Hawthorn Cup (G Division) finals last season, the Golden Bears plan to move up the rankings.
2013-2014 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 6-5
Final Ranking: 49
Team Championships: 2nd in the Hawthorn Cup
By the Numbers (From US Squash): 5-4 Matches Won: 3 of 3 … Position with the Most Wins: #2s and 6s had 6 Wins
2014-2015 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Club
Returning Players from Team Championships: 1. Erik Bjartorp (2015); 2. Danish Jahangir Mir (2017); 3. Giovanni Zenati (2015); 4. Phillip Bildner (2015); 5. Daniel King (2016); 6. Axel Eriksson (2015); 7. Gabriel Kahn (2015); 8. Aaditija Gupta (2017); 9. Kjell Ekman (2015); 10. Sameer Abraham (2015)
Graduated/Non-Returning Players from Team Championships: None
Additions to the 2014-2015 Roster:
- Expected to play in the top 3: Rohan Sharan, Sid Balaji, and Guangzhao Yang
- Expected to play in the middle 3: Samridh Saluja
- Expected to play in the bottom 3: Percy Chen
Captains: Kjell Ekman, Giovanni Zenati, and Gabe Kahn
Team Goals: Build on the strengths of last year’s team
Key Matches: USC
To read other team previews, please visit the 2014-2015 College Squash Season Previews page.
