The women’s squash team won the National C Division championship at Yale University this past weekend. The Polar Bears recorded three wins on their way to a perfect weekend, the program’s first-ever championship win in the Walker Cup.
The Walker Cup is the championship for teams within the C Division of the College Squash Association. In collegiate squash, the teams ranked 1-24 are all divided into three different divisions based on rank. Teams 1-8 play in the A Division, 9-16 play in B and 17-24 play in C.
The squad faced tough opposition that has silenced them in previous years. The women began by defeating Colby 8-1 on Friday, and then overwhelmed both Hamilton and Wesleyan in two breathtaking 5-4 victories to win the division.
Senior Monica Wlodarczyk was pivotal in the team’s success this weekend, winning all three of her matches at the No. 5 position.
“As a graduating senior, this was the ultimate finale in terms of a last nationals for me,” she said. “We beat Hamilton, who we have not beaten in my time playing here, and we beat Wesleyan, who we have always fallen to at Nationals.”
Sophomores Alden Drake and Sara Wlodarczyk also won all of their matches during the Walker Cup championships as the No. 4 and No. 6 players, respectively.
Drake said she that was very pleased with the Polar Bears’ performances this weekend.
“I think that the team preformed very well, especially under moments of pressure,” she said. “We came together as one cohesive unit, which enabled us to win victories over two teams that had beaten us a week prior.”
The women finished No. 17 in the nation, their best finish at Nationals since 2003. The team will likely play in the B Division next year, marking a new challenge for the team.
Sara Wlodarczyk is excited about the squad’s accomplishments this season and is looking forward to improving as a team in the future.
“Although I’m going to miss the seniors dearly, I think we’re all pumped to hopefully graduate from the Cs and move up to the Bs,” she said. “We definitely have tons of potential, and I think we’re just tapping into it.”
Sophomores Torrey Lee and Rachel Barnes, Bowdoin’s No. 1 and No. 2 players respectively, both received NESCAC honors for their outstanding play this year. Lee scored a record of 5-12 against the toughest competition in the season’s tournmanents, while Barnes went 11-8, including two crucial wins during the team’s chase for the Walker Cup.
The men’s team will travel today to Yale, where they will compete for the Summers Cup.