Middletown, CT — “We don’t just aim to compete, we get better at it!” says Wesleyan head coach Shona Kerr. That has certainly been the pattern over the last few seasons. The Cardinals finished the 2013 – 2014 season with 11 wins, which they followed with 12 wins the next year. Last year, Wesleyan went 13 – 7 on the year, continuing the increase in the win column. One aspect of the Cardinals’ improvement has been their performance in close matches; last season, they went four for four in 5-4 matches. The Cardinals have been a fixture in the Summers Cup semifinals the last few years, but they haven’t advanced to the C Division final since 2013. During the regular season, Wesleyan will be focusing on matches with NESCAC opponents, especially traditional Little Three rivals Amherst and Williams. During the off-season, co-captain Zach Roach gained valuable experience by joining Greg Gaultier and Amr Shabana in coaching camps at Wesleyan University. The team is planning to watch the Tournament of Champions, and they will be utilizing the new fitness equipment and video cameras for match review that were installed in the Rosenbaum Squash Center. “The team consists of some highly committed, intellectually sharp people who are all here to help and push each other both on and off the court,” says Kerr.
2015-2016 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 13-7
Final Ranking: 20
Team Championships: 4th in the Summers Cup (C Division)
By the Numbers (From US Squash): 5-4 Matches Won: 4 of 4… Top 3 Win%: .583… Middle 3 Win%: .533… Lower 3 Win%: .483…
2016-2017 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Varsity
Head Coach: Shona Kerr
Returning Players from Team Championships: 3. Christopher Hart (2017); 4. Alexander Kamisher (2017 – NESCAC All-Academic; CSA Scholar Athlete); 5. David Sneed (2018 – NESCAC All-Academic; CSA Scholar Athlete); 6. Zach Roach (2017 – NESCAC All-Academic); 7. Grant Lounsbury (2017 – NESCAC All-Academic; CSA Scholar Athlete); 9. Yahya Ladiwala (2019); 11. Josh Lane (2019); Kevin Le (2019);
Graduated/Non-Returning Players from Team Championships: 1. Guy Davidson (2016 – NESCAC First-Team; NESCAC All-Sportsmanship Team); 2. Raheem Logan (2016 – NESCAC First-Team); 8. Jason Brandner (2016 – NESCAC All-Academic); 10. Alex Bakes (2016 – NESCAC All-Academic);
Additions to the 2016-2017 Roster:
- Johnny Hayes
- Will Bienstock
- Alex Dreyfus
Captains: Zach Roach and Alex Kamisher
Team Goals: To form a cohesive group that can maximize their potential and for the sophomore class to step up and come into their own as competitors.
Key Matches: Williams, Amherst, and other NESCAC opponents
To read other team previews, please visit the 2016-2017 College Squash Season Previews page.