Terrell Defeats Gonzalez To Take Intersquad Title

Six years ago Larry Terrell entered an Amherst squash court prepared to face Harvard's Jose "Boom-Boom" Gonzalez for the National Junior Squash Championship. Gonzalez was already on the court, having his picture taken with the trophy.

"This is just a preliminary routine," Gonzalez said. The photographers also took Terrell's picture. But the match was even more routine than the picture-taking, for Gonzalez won easily in three games.

"He crushed me." Terrell said. "It was the shortest national junior championship final on record. I still remember the 15-3 game score."

Yesterday, Jose Gonzalez entered the Hemenway squash courts ready to face Terrell in the finals of the Harvard intrasquad competition for the Foster Cup. Terrell was already on the court, exhibiting the finest squash technique of the collegiate competition in a match between Larry Terrell and Larry Terrell.

This time the tables were turned and the crowd had come to see if it was possible to beat Terrell this year. It wasn't, as Terrell swept the match in three games, 15-6, 15-7, 15-12.

Gonzalez is a big man. Because of his size, he concentrates on moving his opponent behind him and then beating him with hard smashes.

But Terrell forced Gonzalez to run, and with this attack the Crimson senior had a distinct advantage. When Gonzalez dove to save a short lob. Terrell would follow with a deep smash that left Gonzalez a spectator.

"The ball seemed mushy." Gonzalez said. "I just couldn't hit it as hard as I wanted to. I was running so hard; at times I pictured my lungs spilling out on the court."

Terrell is playing his finest squash of the season now. "I started playing very well after I finished my thesis," he explained. In the next few weeks, Terrell will compete with Anil Nayar in the Massachusetts Doubles Championship in which they are the defending champions.

Terrell may have a chance to regain the Foster Cup in a few years. He is seeking a fellowship in England or France next year, but plans to return to the Harvard Law School after that.

Gonzalez is a second-year student at the Med School and plays number one for the Harvard Club of Boston. He won the National Junior Championship twice and played at number two and three on the Harvard varsity for three years.