2000-01 Men's Squash Outlook

With 12 returning players, including five All-Americans, the 2000-01 Trinity College men's squash team is poised to continue its domination of collegiate squash. Over the past two seasons, Trinity has won 35 straight matches and captured consecutive National Intercollegiate Squash Racquets' Association (NISRA) Team Championship titles. Last season, the Bantams finished 18-0 and defeated Harvard University, 8-1, in the Potter Trophy finals for the second year in a row. Trinity won 157 of 162 varsity matches during the 1999-00 season and placed seven players on the All-American squad.

Four-time All-Americans Preston Quick and Marcus Cowie graduated last year, but the team returns four seniors led by All-American co-captain Loua Coetzee and All-American Akhil Behl. Co-captain Duncan Pearson and Josh Miller are the other members of a senior class that has a combined record of 51-2 over the past three seasons. Pearson also teamed with Quick to win the NISRA Doubles Championship last season.

Junior Lefike Ragontse and sophomore Jonathan Smith also return after earning All-American honors in 1999-00. Ragontse, a first-team All-American selection as a freshman, compiled a 16-2 singles mark to earn second-team All-American honors last year. Smith had the Bantams’ second-best singles record at 17-1 and won the NISRA Singles feed-in consolation title, qualifying him for the All-American first team.

Junior Rohan Bhappu and twins Gaurev and Rohan Juneja are the other returning players from last season's top 10. The trio combined for a 41-8 singles record last year. Junior Noah Wimmer and sophomores Nickolas Kyme and sophomore Carl Baglio also will challenge for spots on this year’s team.

In addition, Head Coach Paul Assaiante (seventh season), who is also the United States Pan-American Games Coach and the USA World Team Head Coach, has recruited another heralded group of newcomers with international experience. The newcomers include English National Team member Michael Ferreira and No. 2-ranked USA junior player Pat Molloy.

"It will be difficult to replace Preston Quick and Marcus Cowie. But depth has always been a strength of our team, and in the coming season our depth will become even more important," Assaiante says. "I believe this year’s national title will be won at No.’s 7, 8, and 9 instead of 1 and 2. We’ve raised the bar for our program to the highest level, and we welcome the challenge of staying there."