Women’s Squash Wins National Title

The Trinity College women’s squash team, led by 30th-year head coach Wendy Bartlett, won the College Squash Association (CSA) National Team Championship (Howe Cup) title for the third time and the first time since 2003 with a thrilling 5-4 victory over Harvard at Princeton in February. The squad also captured its eighth consecutive New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Championship crown and completed its best dual-match season since 2003 with a 16-1 record. Senior co-captain Catalina Pelaez was selected as the 2014 recipient of the Richey Women’s Squash Award, given annually to the women’s player who best exemplifies the ideals of squash in her love of and devotion to the game, her strong sense of fairness, and her excellence of play and leadership. Pelaez joined sophomore Kanzy El Defrawy on the CSA All-American First Team, while first-year Anna Kimberley was named to the CSA All-American Second Team. El Defrawy also was honored as the NESCAC Women’s Squash Player of the Year for the second year in a row and joined Pelaez and senior Wee Nee Low on the All-NESCAC First Team. Kimberley and Trinity juniors Natalie Babjukova and Ashley Tidman were named to the All-NESCAC Second Team, and Kimberley also was selected as the 2014 NESCAC Rookie of the Year.

The national championship women’s squash team: front row: Lindsay McDonough, Jennifer Pelletier, Catalina Pelaez, Melva Lopez, Wee Nee Low, Natalie Babjukova, Ashley Tidman; back row: assistant coach Randy Lee, Brice Rothenberg, Chanel Erasmus, Sachika Balvani, Kanzy El Defrawy, Alexia Echeverria, Katiria Sanchez, Anna Kimberley, Savahna Reuben, assistant coach Vikram Malhotra, head coach Wendy Bartlett

Men’s Squash

Trinity’s men’s squash team, led by 20th-year head coach Paul Assaiante, completed the 2013-14 dual-match season with an 18-2 record, captured its eighth consecutive NESCAC Championship crown, and finished as the CSA National Team Championship (Potter Trophy) runner-up. Juniors Karan Malik and Miled Zarazua were named to the 2014 NESCAC Men’s Squash All-Conference First Team, while junior Vrishab Kotian and sophomores Zeyad Elshorafy and Juan Vargas graced the All-NESCAC Second Team.