Athlete of the Week: James Bullock '04

Sensing an opportunity to give his team some much-needed momentum early on against Princeton, Harvard sophomore James Bullock took matters into his own hands on Sunday by defeating David Yik, the defending national champion, 9-5, 9-7, 9-6.

Though the Harvard men’s squash team eventually lost to the Tigers 5-4, thus giving Princeton the Ivy League championship outright, Bullock’s surprising victory provided the Crimson with an early edge in what proved to be a tough contest throughout the lineup.

Playing in the No. 2 spot, Bullock slowly but steadily controlled play during a match that featured lengthy points and let calls. The Kingston, Jamaica native exhibited the mental toughness that has enabled him to amass a personal 7-1 record this season, with his lone defeat occurring during an 8-1 loss to Trinity that was a debacle for the entire team.

“Although I won 3-love, this is the toughest match I’ve had so far this season because of the amount of pressure I put on myself to get the team off to a good start,” Bullock said. “There was no letting up the entire match. I just tried to keep focused.”

Bullock was unconcerned about his opponent’s stature, having anticipated that he would face Yik in the No. 2 spot before entering competition on Sunday.

“No matter who any of us face, it would be a tough match regardless,” Bullock said. “We try not to think too much about who we’re going to play or their rank and just take each match as it comes.”

Still, there is a certain satisfaction expected from one who bests the reigning intercollegiate champion.

“I felt really good winning my match because I was the underdog,” Bullock said.

Throughout the season, the Harvard No. 2 has consistently played at or near the top of the Crimson’s lineup, battling early in the season with co-captain Peter Karlen for the No. 1 spot. After injuries knocked Karlen out of competition, Bullock and junior Dylan Patterson had an intense challenge match to decide the top of the lineup. Harvard Coach Satinder Bajwa said on Sunday that the team would hold another set of challenges to determine the ladder before the Yale match Feb. 20.

Following the contest at Yale, Harvard will host the national team championships Feb. 22-24.

“We’ll look at how things set up for the team championships here at the end of February and see if we get a shot against at Princeton,” Bullock said.

With Karlen out and the Crimson trying to regroup for its final competitions of the year, Bullock remains optimistic about the team’s chances for a national title.

“Definitely the last two weeks have been the toughest of the season, but we still expect good things to happen from us,” Bullock said.

Indeed, Harvard’s chances in the upcoming championship run will largely depend on the ability of Bullock and his teammates to step up like he did against Yik on Sunday.