Men's squash still searching for varsity status Middlebury's squash club may not be an official varsity sport, but it certainly does not lack talent and ability.

Author: James Kerrigan

Middlebury's squash club may not be an official varsity sport, but it certainly does not lack talent and ability.

Squash club members practice and play in five courts inside the Bubble, the sort of ugly duckling of the renovated athletic facilities. They have no jerseys or Web site with updated match scores. They sleep six in a room on road trips. They have no official recruiting process. Yet, despite all these setbacks, the club has steadily climbed up the national squash ladder, and now find themselves on par with many of the top schools in the country.

On middlebury.edu, the squash club simply states: "This club promotes the playing of squash. Everyone is welcome, including people who have never played before." And, although the squash club advertises a laidback environment, the play between the walls is fiery and passionate.

Participation is higher than ever. About 25 students are members of the squash club, and 12 of those are a part of the group that competes against other schools. Senior co-captain Jeff Wieland explains that, "While the men's squash team is still in its infancy, we are beginning to build a stronger team." This portion of the club has played in six matches this year, winning four and losing two and are currently ranked 25th in the nation.

Each match consists of nine individual contests. Players from each team are ranked one through nine. Number one plays the opposing team's number one, number two plays number two, etc. Each of these contests is the best of five games. Middlebury suffered a 7-2 loss to Tufts and a 4-3 loss to St. Lawrence, who is ranked in the top 20 in the country. On the other hand, they earned shutout wins against Colgate and Northeastern and beat MIT and Wesleyan both by the score of 7-2. Gordon McMorris '08 has played in all six matches in the number two slot and come out victorious in each.

But individual accomplishments pale in comparison to the club's goal of achieving varsity status. Middlebury is the only NESCAC college without a varsity squash team. Trinity, the top-ranked team in the country, has been referred to by Jack Lysohir '08 as "the evil empire of the squash world." And for every high profile, successful team, there is a team that lacks the financial ability to compete at the same level; case in point - Middlebury. Furthermore, Middlebury has a women's varsity squash team. For these reasons, rumors float and confusion remains. Lysohir speculates that it is some sort of "Title IX conspiracy." Additionally, "Middlebury's identity is in question without a men's varsity squash team."

Wieland '06 is also unsure about why the team has remained a club sport only: "I don't really understand the politics behind becoming a varsity sport. We have sent letters to the athletic administration requesting varsity status and have tried to prove our commitment to the sport through our performance on the court."

Despite these political defeats so to speak, co-captain Alex Nadas '06 is optimistic that the next couple years will bring even more improvement: "I foresee us becoming varsity within the next few years. Once that happens, we will be able to recruit players and fight for the top spot in NESCAC squash tournament." This is the best year yet for Middlebury squash and the future looks bright.

First year players J.P. Sardi '09 and Gordon McMorris '08.5 have filled the number one and two spots, respectively. According to Nadas '06, "both have shown incredible maturity and great play on the squash court. Both of them will form the foundation of this team over the next four years." He says that Wieland, his co-captain is an "incredible competitor and always inspires other members of the team to take their game to another level like he does every weekend." And of course, there is Will Carroll '07, known as Will "The Thrill." He has not only kept everyone on the team entertained, but has also shown incredible play on court this year. A group of unique characters and diverse personalities has come together to be a cohesive, and successful team whether they are considered varsity or not.

The squash club may not have a multi-million dollar facility, a large fan base or an adequate budget, but the players still work on their skills and enjoy playing the game. They are motivated by improving their skills and having fun. The sense of competition and camaraderie is very much alive and well. They are, well, a team.