Squash Wrap Up: Men's And Women's Squads Dominate

After victory after victory after victory, the squash season is over.

Last weekend marked the end of the season for both Harvard's men's and women's squads. For the men, that meant an end to the team's national championship dream season. The undefeated squad did not lose a regular or post-season match, and it yielded only 10 of 135 individual games in dual matches.

Of its top five players, three--first-year Adrien Ezra, junior Jeremy Fraiberg and sophomore Marty Clark--emerged as the top intercollegiate players in the nation last weekend. And Ezra captured the Ivy League's Rookie of the Year, while Fraiberg nailed the prestigious Player of the Year award.

For the women, a mid-season 5-4 loss to Princeton brought to light two things.

One, it showed them how very, very close they were to becoming the national champions for the second year in a row. Just a couple more points in that fifth game and...

Two, it also showed them that being the best was a thing of the past, and possibly a thing of the future. The present, however, belonged mostly to the undefeated Tigers.

But part of it, perhaps, belonged to players like freshman Jordanna Fraiberg, who defeated Tigers firstseed Hope McKay in the regular season, and last weekend emerged as the second-ranked player in the nation.

It's people like her, and like undefeated, and often unnoticed, men's ninth seed Neal Tew, that make up the future of Harvard squash.

Here's a look at the accomplishments of each member of the men's and women's squash teams:

THE MEN:

Jeremy Fraiberg: Second-seeded intercollegiate player in the nation...Awarded Player of the Year, All-Ivy, and All-American status by Intercollegiate Squash Association...Suffered one defeat to Sunhil Desai, brother of Harvard racquetwoman Vanya Desai, during regular season matches. His only other defeat was to reigning two-year United States Squash and Raquet Association champion, Hector Barrigan of Mexico. Their five-game, two-and-a-half hour match was unofficially recorded as the longest match in U.S.S.R.A. history.

Marty Clark: Third-seeded inter-collegiate player in the nation.. All-Ivy and All-American...Clark suffered one defeat, to Princeton's Bob White.

Jonny Kaye: Tri-captain, re-elected as next season's co-captain. All-Ivy and All-America...Despite worries the native Israeli may have had about his homeland, Kaye suffered only one defeat, to Princeton's Alex Marx..."He is one of the most honest kids on the court you'll ever see," coach Steve Piltch said.

Jon Masland: Tri-captain...Undefeated regular season...The only person to correctly predict, in public, the final 7-2 win over Yale that gave the men the national championship.

Jon Karlen: One of the three freshmen that Piltch said would go down as "some of the best players Harvard squash has ever seen."...Suffered one defeat, to Yale's Reed Frank.

Neal Tew: Recorded an undefeated season..."Neal is one of our most improved and valuable players," Piltch said. "When he went on the court, we needed a victory and when he went off, he'd given us just that victory. I could never say enough about him."

Farokh Pandole: Has monopolized the fourth seed for two years...After about with an illness that sent him to University Health Services for more than one week, the junior suffered only one defeat, to Princeton's Nicko Guetha.

Adrian Ezra: All-Ivy and Rookie of the Year...The freshman immediately monopolized the fifth seed position to post an undefeated record in regular season dual matches...His only tournament "defeat" of the season came when a separated shoulder and fractured nose forced him to default in the semi-final round of the USSRA championships.

George Polsky: Elected co-captain of next year's team...Suffered one defeat to Yale's Jeremy Feinstein...Wins the Crimson award for most original analogies--squash is a cheeseburger, a mine field, the mating habits of the Kodiak Bear.

Mike Foster: After a year-long hiatus, he returned as a strong Crimson. The Princeton game-in which he came back from a two game deficit--gave him his best wins of the season..."He is one of the best competitors I've ever come across," Piltch said.

Raja Mahidhara: Tri-captain. Led the Crimson's B-team to a strong finish in January's team national tournament in Atlanta.

THE WOMEN

Jordanna Fraiberg: Freshman who immediately topped the ranks of the Crimson squad...Ended the season as the nation's second--seeded player...All-Ivy and All-America...Suffered one dual-match, regular-season defeat to Yale's Berkeley Belknap..."I just had fun this season," she said.

Mary Greenhill: Elected Tri-captain of next year's team...All Ivy and All-America...The nation's sixth-ranked player suffered two defeats, to Princeton's Mary Foulke and Yale's Hillary Morris.

Stephanie Clark: Co-captain. All-Ivy and All-America...Undefeated in dual-matches...By the end of the season, Clark had soundly beaten Princeton's third-seed and Harvard's second-seed in tournament matches.

Vanya Desai: All-Ivy and All-America...Suffered one defeat, to Princeton's Jenny Roos.

Daphne Onderdonk:Co-Captain...All-Ivy...Undefeated in dual matches.

Carrie Cunningham: Elected Tri-captain of next year's team...Second Team All-America...Undefeated in dual matches...After a year-long hiatus, Cunningham entered the ladder at seventh seed and moved up as far as the fifth spot by the end of the season.

Brooke Bailey: Elected Tri-captain of next year's team...Shows her true colors against Yale every year. In last year's Yale game, Bailey captured the fifth game victory the Crimson needed to become national champions. This year, she did it again, although the game was only to determine the nation's second place team. And she recently upset Yale's third seed, Elizabeth Marx, at the ISA nationals.

Heather Sullivan: This freshman's best game was the one she wasn't even supposed to play. Substituting for Crimson fourth-seed Desai in the USSRA championships, Sullivan upset Tiger sixth seed Elizabeth Van Orman.

Polly Butler: A solid season marked by easy defeats over Trinity and Dartmouth..."Polly has a great future," Piltch said. "She just needs to believe in herself more."

Kathy Shergalis: The sophomore noted for her coolness under pressure suffered only one defeat all season