The Colby Echo

Issue date: 2/9/07 Section: Sports

With an overall record of 13-8, Colby women's squash has had a solid season as they head into the national championships in a few weekends. The women defeated Wesleyan University in a perfect 9-0 match but fell to Bates College 8-1 at last weekend's New England Small College Athletic Conference championship, the first ever of its kind, to finish in a solid sixth place. The Mules went on to defeat Hamilton College 5-4 in the consolation round before suffering a narrow 5-4 loss to Middlebury College. Traditional squash powerhouse Trinity College won the NESCAC title in both the men's and women's divisions.

The women have had a number of impressive wins this season, including a prior victory over Middlebury. The Mules have also picked up wins against Connecticut College, George Washington University, Vassar College, and Smith College, amongst others.

First-year Samantha Smith has been solid at the first position, with a 9-7 record, while junior Stacy Petro has an impressive 11-2 record at the second position. Every athlete in the line up has been incredibly important to the success of the Mules this season, with vital wins coming in many of the position matches.

The season is far from over for the women. They finished 12th in the nation in 2006 and hope for an even stronger finish this season. The Mules took on Bowdoin College after press time on Feb. 7 and will continue to the Howe Cup on Feb. 16. Head Coach Sakhi Khan said, "The level of play is on the rise and we will have our hands full for the rest of the season."

With a 7-11 record, the men's squad has been less successful than the women's team, but has still had some crucial wins this season. The men finished as expected at NESCACs, in ninth place. They lost a 7-2 match to Connecticut College but came back to win their consolation matches against Middlebury and Wesleyan, 6-3 and 5-4, respectively.

The men have also picked up wins against Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Hobart College, St. Lawrence University and Northeastern University this season. Jake Leiby '09 has been solid for Colby in the first position, with a 5-6 record, while senior Captain Andy Carr has the most impressive record of the line up, going 8-4 from the third position.

Like the women, the men have some big matches coming up. They will play Bates College after press time on Feb. 8 before their final home match of the season against Northwestern University on Feb. 11. The men will then have nearly two weeks off before competing in the national championships on Feb. 23. Carr commented, "Nationals is really what we have to be ready for. We are hoping to finish at the top of our bracket." Last year the men finished in 17th place in the country. Khan noted that the season is far from over for either of the teams, and that the work they put in during these final weeks will be crucial to the final result of their seasons. "We will need to keep our fitness level, patience during points and our confidence up as we approach the men's and women's nationals later this month."

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