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The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Officials name senior vice president, chief of staff
By Fiona Riley, Assistant News Editor • March 26, 2024

Top-tier opponents sweep men’s and women’s squash in weekend competition

Senior+Brooke+Feldman+swings+at+a+ball+during+a+womens+squash+game+over+the+weekend.+
Senior Brooke Feldman swings at a ball during a women’s squash game over the weekend.

Men’s and women’s squash fell to top opponents in matches played at home over the weekend.

Women’s squash (2–11) came up short against three competitors that are ranked above the No. 13 squad to extend its current losing streak to six games – the longest of the season. No. 12 men’s squash (7–10) also lost to two top-10 programs in matches over the weekend.

The men faced off against No. 7 Yale Saturday and No. 5 Columbia Sunday and were swept 9–0 in both contests. The women’s squad started competition one day before the men, falling to No. 12 Cornell, and went on to lose to Yale and Columbia.

Athletic department spokeswoman Lauren Shear declined to facilitate interviews with student-athletes after their on-campus competition over the weekend due to the content of past stories published by The Hatchet about the team. Through Shear, head coach Wendy Lawrence also declined to be interviewed due to the content of past stories published by The Hatchet about her team.

Friday

The women’s team kicked off weekend competition Friday dropping all nine matches to No. 12 Cornell.

Two Colonials were blanked 11–0 in individual games and three separate Colonials scored one point in 11–1 game losses. During the games they dropped, the bottom three slots of GW’s ladder lost by an average of 7.2 points, and while the top three extended matches to multiple games, they still came up short against the Big Red, losing by an average of 4.17 points.

Sophomore Zuha Nazir fell back 2–0 against Cornell junior Colby Gallagher at No. 4 on the ladder, but she clawed back to earn two 12–10 back-to-back victories, pushing the match to a decisive game five. Gallagher earned the game and match victory, edging Nazir out 11–4.

Junior Engy Elmandouh pushed her match to four games at the No. 2 spot, but fell 3–1 against freshman Lily Zelov. Elmandouh lost the first game 11–9, but rallied to victory in the second game 11–9. Zelov curbed Elmandouh’s momentum by taking the third game 11–4 before Zelov came out victorious 11–9 in a hard fought game four.

Saturday

Both the men’s and women’s programs were swept 9–0 by Yale Saturday.

During the individual game losses, the women’s team fell by an average of 7.22 points and no Colonial extended a match beyond three games against No. 4 Yale.

The bottom of the ladder shifted slightly as sophomore Aarushi Lakhotia moved from the No. 9 to the No. 8 spot to replace freshman Zoe Eberstadt-Beattie, who did not compete. Freshman Anna Moscovici slid into the No. 9 spot for the third time this season, where she holds a 0–3 record with losses against Stanford, Trinity and Yale.

No. 7 Yale dominated the men’s team 9–0 as its roster continues to shift with the addition of freshman Ben Sim, who will compete with the Colonials for the remainder of the season on exchange from Singapore, according to an athletic department release Saturday. The Colonials also welcomed back junior Jamie Oakley into the lineup after he was sidelined with an injury.

Sim debuted at No. 5 and Oakley, who played at No. 4 prior to his injury, competed at No. 7 on the ladder. Junior Geordie Laird and freshman Idan Hare, who have comprised the bottom section of the ladder, did not compete, and freshman Abbas Saeed returned to No. 8 on the ladder. Sophomore Luke Stauffer shifted from the No. 7 rung to No. 9 for the first time this season.

Junior Juan Sebastian Laguna extended his match to four games against freshman Eric Kim at the No. 6 spot. Kim took the first two games 11–8 and 11–7, respectively, before Laguna fought back in an intense game three, overcoming Kim 18–16. Laguna ultimately fell 11–5 in game four to lose the match.

Sunday

Women’s squash was short-rostered in its 9–0 loss to No. 7 Columbia Sunday, with just eight players competing for GW. Eberstadt-Beattie did not compete for the second time over the weekend for the Colonials and Moscovici played at the No. 8 spot for the first time.

Four Colonials extended their matches past three games, but were unable to secure wins against their competitors.

Sophomore Zoe Foo Yuk Han battled senior Maddie O’Connor in a fast-paced, five-game match. Foo Yuk Han edged out O’Connor in the first game 15–13. O’Connor came back and took the next game 11–7 before losing 11–2 in the third game. The fourth game consisted of long rallies and back-and-forth play, but O’Connor came out on top 11–7. O’Connor went on to capture the fifth game 11–5 and win the match.

Junior Emma Tryon competed in an energetic four-game contest against sophomore Habiba Mohamed. Mohamed claimed the first match 11–5, but Tryon came back in the second game to secure the win 14–12. Game three was hard fought with lead changes happening regularly, but Mohamed finished up on top, winning the last two matches 11–8 and 11–5.

Men’s squash also saw roster changeups as the team lost to No. 5 Columbia 9–0.

Mohammad Alterki, who has been playing in the No. 1 spot for the Colonials, did not compete, and the lineup shifted players up one spot on the ladder as Laird reentered the lineup at the No. 9 spot.

Sophomore Salim Khan played at the No. 1 spot for the first time this season against sophomore Velavan Senthilkumar. Senthilkumar took the first game 11–9, but Khan fought back the second game to pull ahead 4–2. In a long rally between the two, Khan hit the ball in a behind-the-back shot to continue the volley and win the point. But Khan ultimately lost the second and third games 11–9 and 11–8, respectively.

Both teams are back in action Saturday as they compete in the Mid-Atlantic Squash Conference Championship in Charlottesville, Va. The women’s squad takes on No. 18 Dickinson College at noon and the men’s squad plays No. 21 MIT at 10 a.m.

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