The men's squash team collected a trio of exciting one-point victories to take home the 2011 "C" Division Summers Cup at the College Squash Association Team National Championships last weekend at Harvard University. The team ended their season 17th in the country with an overall record of 12-11, winning their first Summers Division title since 1994.
The Polar Bears started out on their path to victory with a 5-4 win over the Colby Mules last Friday night. The win proved to be the second over the NESCAC rival in as many weeks, with Stephan Danyluk '14, Barret Takesian '12, Andrew Hilboldt '13, Rahul Madan Mohan '11 and Andrew Sprague '12 taking home the crucial points.
The Polar Bears then advanced to deal a 5-4 blow to Amherst, with the Polar Bears taking their revenge against the Lord Jeffs for the 5-4
Polar Bears were defeated at their hands in the NESCAC Championship tournament several weeks ago. Andy Bernard '11, Danyluk, Will Fantini '13 and Takesian won at the top for positions while Madan Mohan clinched the win at No. 6.
In the "C" Division final against George Washington University, Bowdoin gained an early lead, getting points from Fantini, Takesian, Hilboldt, and Madan Mohan at positions three through six. The final victory was only sealed by a dramatic comeback win by Will Winmill '14 at number nine, taking the win from an initial 0-2 deficit, securing Bowdoin's upset victory from the jaws of defeat. Overall the middle of the roster proved crucial over the weekend with combined record of Fantini, Takesian, Hilboldt and Madan Mohan numbers at three through six standing at 10-2 overall.
"I'm absolutely thrilled by the team's victory this weekend," said Andrew Hilboldt '13. "The championship is really the culmination of the whole season and all the hard work we've put in at practice all year long and come home from that with a win is extremely rewarding."
"[That] being said, winning the "C" division is a little like winning the NIT, a wonderful thing, but it's still not the big leagues—not the NCAA," he added. "The rightful home of Bowdoin is in the 'B' division, and our win this weekend solidifies the legitimacy of this view."
Takesian said the win was a confluence of factors a whole season in the making.
"The great thing about this weekend is the validation of all the hard work that the team put in over the whole year," he said. "Everything builds to nationals, and the crucial thing about this weekend was the fact that different players reached their season peak at important times to clutch the win."
"Upsets just don't happen very often in squash and we got really lucky that in each match someone reached the culmination of all their work at critical points," he added. "I think that's what makes this win all the more special."