St. Louis, MO — Graduating seven players from last year’s starting nine from the Hawthorn Cup (G Division) at the Men’s College Squash Association National Team Championships is challenging for any team. Washington University in St. Louis is optimistic about the upcoming season. “We lost most of our team last year to graduation and are looking to rebuild and compete strongly,” states co-captain Jeff Elbaum. Although difficult to compare the 2015 – 2016 season to the upcoming one due to player turnover, the Bears hope that matches with Penn State, Notre Dame, and Swarthmore will be competitive again this season. “We are going to have an exciting team this year with many new players. We think this season will be successful and an opportunity for many younger players to shine,” adds Elbaum. Look for Washington University in St. Louis to finish in the lower half of the Hawthorn Cup this season.
2015-2016 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 7-5
Final Ranking: 51
Team Championships: 3rd in the Hawthorn Cup (G Division)
By the Numbers (From US Squash): 5-4 Matches Won: 3 of 4… Top 3 Win%: .306… Middle 3 Win%: .514… Lower 3 Win%: .556…
2016-2017 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Club
Head Coach: Mike Puertas
Returning Players from Team Championships: 2. Kent Sasada (2019); 7. Jeff Elbaum (2018); Ben Auerbach (2017), Jake Shapiro (2017), and Mike Ricci (2019)
Graduated/Non-Returning Players from Team Championships: 1. Alex Bolinsky (2016); 3. Jordan Krawitz (2016); 4. Lyall Cooper (2016); 5. Diego Alarcon (2016); 6. Ajay Singh (2016); 8. Brendan Sturm (2016); 9. Eric Marcus (2016); 10. Mark Temple (2016);
Captains: Jeff Elbaum and Kent Sasada
Team Goals: To rebuild and compete strongly
Key Matches: Penn State, Notre Dame and Swarthmore
To read other team previews, please visit the 2016-2017 College Squash Season Previews page.
