Championship Run Begins For Crimson

Coming off an undefeated season, no women’s squash program this year better epitomizes success than the Harvard women’s squash team.

The Crimson (9-0, 6-0 Ivy) has capped off its string of skillfully maneuvered victories with its 17th Ivy League title and 11th Barhite Award, given annually for the best dual match record in the nation.

Because of its strong performance, Harvard enters the CSA National Team Championships seeded No. 1. This weekend, the Crimson and seven other elite teams—Trinity, Penn, Princeton, Yale, Cornell, Stanford, and Williams—will be playing for the Howe Cup at Yale’s Brady Squash Center.

Coming into the tournament, Harvard is well-equipped to succeed. In its regular season, the Crimson did not drop a single game at the No. 1, 5, 7, 8, or 9 positions, boasting undefeated records as well 10 of the team’s 15 players—an undeniably impressive feat.

But Harvard is careful to stay focused and not let the hype affect the team.

“We’re going in as the number one seed, but by no means are we complacent in that position,” co-captain Johanna Snyder said. “The other teams are going to be ready to beat us and we respect that.”

Despite a two-week break since its last match, the Crimson has been working consistently to prepare for the championship.

“[We’ve been working on] positivity, confidence, and sharpening our skills,” co-captain Katherine O’Donnell said. “We want to remember that squash is fun and it’s what we’ve loved to do for so many years. It will make the tension-filled weekend a culmination of our hard work.”

On Friday, Harvard begins its quest for the national championship with a match against No. 8 Williams College.

Early on in the season, the Crimson faced the Ephs and soundly defeated them, 9-0. In a powerhouse display, each of the Harvard athletes won in consecutive games.

But Williams has had the majority of its season to improve following the loss to the Crimson. The Ephs put on a very strong showing in the final leg of the season, blanking four of their last five opponents.

Undoubtedly, this momentum will help carry Williams into the match.

Playing in the No. 1 position for Harvard will be freshman Laura Gemmell, already notorious in her rookie season for her unparalleled skill. During the season, the rookie compiled an impressive 8-0 record, defeating each of her opponents in straight games.

Filling the No. 2, 3, and 4 positions are sophomore Nirasha Guruge and juniors June Tiong and Alisha Mashruwala, respectively.

Freshman Natasha Kingshott will carry her regular season play in the No. 5 position into the tournament. The rookie has a 9-0 individual record with eight of her victories at the No. 5 spot.

Nearing the conclusion of their collegiate squash careers, Snyder and O’Donnell will be playing in the No. 6 and No. 8 spots.

O’Donnell alluded to the different layers of emotion surrounding the looming end.

“It’s bittersweet. This is the perfect way to end—number one going into nationals,” she said. “But, it’s definitely sad.”

For Snyder, the championship has arrived at just the right time.

“I’m really psyched that I’m peaking at the end of my college career,” she said. “That feels really good because I’ve trained really hard and it’s nice to have it pay off. I’m playing my best squash and I hope that it comes through this weekend.”

Rounding out the lineup will be sophomore Cece Cortes, junior Bethan Williams, and freshman Sarah Mumanachit.

They will play at No. 7, 8, and 10, respectively.

If the Crimson emerges victorious from its match on Friday, it will play the winner of the match between No. 4 Yale and No. 5 Princeton.

Harvard would assuredly love to get another shot to face the Tigers. In two of the last three years, the Crimson has lost the championship match to its fellow Ancient Eight rival.