Northampton, MA — The Richey Award is given annually to the women’s college squash player who best exemplifies the ideals of squash in her love of and devotion to the game, her strong sense of fairness, and her excellence of play and leadership.
Coaches consult with their teams and vote on the candidates at the Women’s National Team Championships. Each school has two votes: a team vote and a coach’s vote.
The 2014 Richey Award was presented to Catalina Pelaez (Trinity College).
This year, there were many talented nominees. The Executive Committee selected the three finalists for the Richey Award (listed alphabetically; click on the athletes’ names below to see photos and videos of them playing):
Danielle Letourneau (Cornell University): A communications major and international relations minor, Danielle Letourneau has been at the top of the Cornell ladder throughout her four years with the Big Red. In that time, she has been named First Team All-American and All-Ivy League three times (2012, 2013, and 2014). The Canadian has also represented her country in international play. Letourneau, a captain for Cornell the past two seasons, has been ranked amongst the top 10 players in college squash throughout her career. “She is an outstanding role model to all other collegiate squash players, no matter what their level of play. Her enthusiasm, sportsmanship and competitiveness are for everyone to see when she is out on court representing her Cornell team and collegiate squash,” states Cornell coach Julee Devoy.
Amanda Sobhy (Harvard University): Amanda Sobhy, an anthropology major, is undefeated in collegiate play. She has captured the past three Ramsay Cups (individual titles) and helped Harvard win two national championships (2012 and 2013) and two Ivy League titles (2012 and 2014). She was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Year (2012) and Ivy League Player of the Year (2012, 2013, and 2014). In addition to collegiate play, Sobhy, a New York native, has represented the United States in international competition and competed on the professional circuit as an amateur. “She has brought a new level of recognition to squash worldwide after becoming the first woman to be ranked in world’s top 10 while in college and the first American woman to reach number 8 in the world,” adds Harvard coach Mike Way.
Ashley Tidman (Trinity College): A top-5 player for Trinity throughout her career, Ashely Tidman is a political science major. The Bantams’ co-captain played a pivotal role in Trinity’s 5-4 win over Harvard in last season’s national championship final. In 2013, Tidman was half of the winning pair of the Women’s Intercollegiate Doubles Championship. Tidman, a native of France, has been named a Second Team All-American (2014) and a member of the All-NESCAC teams (2012, 2013, and 2014). According to Trinity coach Wendy Bartlett, “Ashley’s on court poise and demeanor is superlative. While putting pressure on her opponents with powerful shots and quick court coverage, she demonstrates only the highest level of sportsmanship. She has the ability to immediately put her own needs aside and completely focus on what is good for the team or for another player on the team.”
