HomeArticlesHarrow Sports College Squash Players of the 2015 Men’s National Team Championship

Harrow Sports College Squash Players of the 2015 Men’s National Team Championship

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Hartford, CT — The 2015 Men’s College Squash Association National Team Championships had great team and individual performances. In this special edition of the Harrow Sports College Squash Player of the Week, we recognize a player from each division of the tournament. 

Potter Cup (A Division) – Affeeq Ismail (Trinity College): Ismail, a sophomore, went 3-0 at the #8 position at Team Championships, including a 5-game victory over St. Lawrence’s Lockie Munro (8-11, 11-7, 11-13, 11-4, and 11-9)  in the Potter Cup final. Ismail’s victory clinched the national team title for Trinity, and his teammates celebrated by carrying him off the court. In the quarterfinal, Ismail defeated Penn’s George Lemmon, and in the semifinal he defeated Columbia’s Arhum Saleem.

Hoehn Cup (B Division) – Michael LeBlanc (Princeton University): LeBlanc, a junior, decided to play the maximum amount of squash at Team Championships. As he assisted Princeton in winning their second consecutive Hoehn Cup, LeBlanc won three 5-game matches at the #6 position. Against Bates in the quarterfinal, he defeated Caran Arora (12-10, 4-11, 11-8, 7-11, and 11-7), followed by a victory over Drexel’s Mark Kauf (11-4, 9-11, 11-3, 10-12, and 11-9). In the finals against Dartmouth, LeBlanc completed his marathon weekend with by edging Michael Mistras (11-5, 8-11, 7-11, 11-5, and 11-8).

Summers Cup (C Division) – William Hanley (Middlebury College): Hanley, a senior, helped guide Middlebury to their 3rd Summers Cup title in the past three years. Playing at the #6 position, Hanley opened the tournament with a tight 3-game victory over Amherst’s Max Kardon (11-9, 11-9, and 12-10). He followed that up with semifinal victory over Michael DeLalio of Wesleyan (11-2, 11-8, and 14-12). In the final against Western Ontario, Hanley faced Krishan Rana. After dropping the first game, Hanley regrouped and captured the match in four games (2-11, 11-4, 11-7, and 11-6).

Conroy Cup (D Division) – Mark Dudzik (Hamilton College): Dudzik, #4 on the ladder for Hamilton, opened the tournament with a five-game victory over Chicago’s Luke Hardingham (9-11, 11-4, 8-11, 11-6, and 11-5). In the semifinal, the junior defeated Tufts’ Sandeep Rishi in three games. In the finals, Hamilton faced NESCAC rival Conn College, a team that they had defeated twice during the regular season (5-4 and 6-3). Against Brendan McClintick, Dudzik earned a 3-1 victory (11-3, 11-4, 7-11, and 11-5) to assist Hamilton in claiming their first Conroy Cup crown since 1996.

Chaffee Cup (E Division) – Drew Lavine (Denison University): In the Chaffee Cup final against Georgetown, Levine, a sophomore, won a crucial match. At the #5 position, he faced Georgetown’s Austen Dixon. Down 2-1, Lavine battled back to even the match at 2-2. In the fifth he prevailed to capture the match (11-6, 6-11, 9-11, 11-9, and 11-8). This victory gave Denison an essential match in their 5-4 victory.

Serues Cup (F Division) – Robert Bohn (Boston College): Junior co-captain Robert Bohn closed the season on a high note. After losing a five-game thriller to Colgate’s Philip Brauer (13-11, 8-11, 5-11, 11-8, and 9-11) in the semifinal, Bohn was down 0-2 in games to Boston University’s Paulo Da Moura. Yet the captain battled back. With both players gasping for air in the final game, Bohn captured the match (5-11, 8-11, 11-8, 13-11, and 11-6). Boston College recorded a 6-3 victory over cross-town rival Boston University.

Hawthorn Cup (G Division) – Arjun Vishwanath (Swarthmore College): Swarthmore’s #5 player, Vishwanath secured a come from behind five-game victory over the College of Charleston’s Chandler Kurtz (9-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-7, and 11-9) to help the Phoenix win the Hawthorn Cup. At the tournament, Vishwanath, a junior, went 3-0, with his other victories coming against Minnesota and Miami.

H Division – Ben Kurchin (Vassar) and Francesca Cornali (Bard): A rivalry is emerging between Vassar and Bard. The Hudson Valley neighbors met three times in the regular season and once again in the finals of the H Division. With the match tied at 4-4, the title came down to the #7s, Vassar’s Ben Kurchin and Bard’s Francesca Cornali. Supported by their teammates, the pair played a competitive match that of course iincluded a fifth and deciding game. Sportsmanship was exhibited by both players and the excitement of each squad was apparent. Kurchin came from behind to capture the final game (6-11, 11-8, 5-11, 11-3, and 11-9) and the team match. Both players and teams won on championship Sunday.

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