Squash squeezes past Williams with 5-4 win

Not even injury slowed down the tenth-ranked men’s squash team on Saturday when they took on No. 11 Williams at Ringe Courts.

The Quakers (4-3, 1-2 Ivy) extended their winning streak to four matches, winning 5-4, thanks in large part to a gutsy performance by senior captain James Clark.

Clark defeated Will Gruner of Williams (6-6), taking the last two sets of the long five-set match.

But after evening the score at two sets apiece, Clark sought some help from the trainer for an apparent foot injury. With a little resilience and a solid tape job, Clark put the injury behind him and won the last set, clinching his own match and the win for Penn overall.

Coach Jack Wyant expected nothing less from his veteran leader.

“He’s a senior,” Wyant said. “He’s a captain. That’s the kind of stuff we expect.”

Despite the injury, Clark felt good in the fifth set.

“I started the match slow, but I felt like I got a second wind for the fifth set,” he said. “I sensed that Gruner was getting a little tired.”

This was a big match for the Quakers, as their schedule won’t get any easier as the season progresses.

“I am thrilled that we are over .500 at 4-3,” Wyant said. “But we have Trinity coming in next week and they are the 12-time defending national champions.

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