Granville, OH — “With our significant incoming talent, our goal is to reach #25,” announces Denison coach Walt Thieman. The Big Red will begin their quest for the top 25 on October 17, when they take on Bucknell at the Rivers Club in Pittsburgh. In addition to traveling to Pennsylvania, the Big Red will be headed to Chicago and Annapolis. “Our annual trip to the Naval Academy is always a highlight especially since our assistant coach, Jim Cowardin, is a USNA graduate,” says Thieman. Denison’s head coach speaks highly of the team’s chemistry. “This team is like a fraternity in that they are very close and look out for each other both athletically and academically. The seasoned players give great guidance to the younger players. We actually have our third set of real brothers this year in the past four years. Alvaro Magana is the younger brother of Fernando Magana.” Thieman also singles out senior Andrew Krayacich for his contributions to the team: “Andrew has been a team leader and number one player since his freshman year. Last year he served as the club team treasurer, and this year he will be the club team president. Andrew will also be serving as a captain again this year for his second year.”
2014-2015 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 4-8
Final Ranking: 33
Team Championships: 1st in the Chaffee Cup (E Division)
By the Numbers (From US Squash): 5-4 Matches Won: 1 of 2… Top 3 Win %: 0.5556… Middle 3 Win %: 0.2778… Lower 3 Win %: 0.2258
2015-2016 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Club
Head Coach: Walt Thieman
Returning Players from Team Championships: 1. Andrew Krayacich (2016); 2. Ariel Cohen (2017); 3. Sherief Shahin (2018); 5. Drew Lavine (2017); 6. Fernando Magana (2017); 7. Ben Cole (2016); 8. Daraius Sumariwalla (2018); 9. Robbie Whitman (2018); 10. Luke Friedman (2017)
Graduated/Non-Returning Players from 2014-2015 Team Championships: 4. Marshall Crane (2015)
Additions to the 2015-2016 Roster:
- Expected to play in the top 3: Ziad Elmandouh (2019)
- Expected to play in the middle 3: Alvaro Magana (2019)
- Expected to play in the bottom 3: Kevin Chung (2019)
Captains: Andrew Krayacich, Ben Cole, and Drew Lavine
Team Goals: End the season ranked in the top 25
Key Matches: Bucknell, Chicago, George Washington, and Georgetown
To read other team previews, please visit the 2015-2016 College Squash Season Previews page.
