New Courts Lay Groundwork for Women's Squash Season

Author: Holly Haertel

The Middlebury women's squash team, now in its 27th season, is probably one of Vermont's best kept secrets, but not for long. The 2002-2003 women's squash season has not even begun and it is already turning out to be a great year. With the demolition of the Fletcher field house, and the installation of five new international squash courts, the women's team for the first time is able to practice and compete on regulation size courts.
Prior to this year, the team practiced on old US-style courts, which were narrower with different wall boundaries, and then traveled each weekend to compete on the wider, international courts. The welcomed addition of these new courts will only help to strengthen the growing squash program.
The 2002-2003 season begins on December 6-7, when Middlebury travels to Wesleyan to compete in a round robin tournament against Wesleyan, Hamilton, Colby, and St. Lawrence.
Last year, the women's squash team finished 14th at the Howe Cup, the national championship of intercollegiate squash, and had an overall record of 13-8. Coach Dave Saward enters his 18th season as head coach with a record of 155 wins and 122 loses. Even more impressive is his record of four consecutive winning seasons (48-20) with no home courts and no home matches. Hopefully, the 2002-2003 season will witness the return of home matches to Middlebury's campus.
With the graduation of last year's captains Sarah Herrup and Ellie Toan, the team looks forward to the return of senior co-captains Eliza Funston and Lisa Pilkington, as well as veteran player Chrissie Fuld, who all return from semesters abroad.
The team is also pleased to have juniors Britt Cosgrove, Liza Franyo, Amanda Knappman, and Kea Anstey for the early part of the season before they depart for their overseas adventures. Sophomores Lauren Smith, Beth Seeley and Holly Haertel, who each competed in all of last year's matches and tournaments, return this year and should provide important depth to the team.
The team also welcomes first-year and senior newcomers, Caitlin Flint '06, Alexandra Polemis '06, Liv Wilson '03, and Gigi Gatewood '03, who will all be welcome additions to the women's squash roster and should only strengthen the team over the coming season.
With this extraordinary lineup and the addition of the new courts, the Middlebury women's squash team hopes to have a very successful season.