DiMauro sets sights on national championship

Having been ranked No. 1 on the women's Canadian junior squash circuit, No. 1 on the junior national team and playing in the No. 1 position for Penn women's squash team, you would think freshman Jessica DiMauro couldn't add anything else to her name. But this weekend at Trinity, DiMauro will try to accomplish a feat that only one women's squash player has ever done in Penn's history -- win the Intercollegiate championship. "It's a lot of pressure," DiMauro said. Pressure? The pressure of being seeded No. 1 at the most competitive tournament in intercollegiate squash should not be a problem for experienced DiMauro, who has garnered a 20-1 match record in her first season of college, dropping only three games to Ivy Pochoda of the Ivy League-champion Harvard squad. "I'm confident in making the finals," DiMauro said. "We've been training hard." Alisia McConnell, a 1985 graduate won the title not once, not twice, but three times during her squash career at Penn. The tournament will feature the nation's top 64 collegiate women's squash players. Penn will be sending four players -- DiMauro, senior Lissa Hunsicker and freshmen Dana Lipson and Lindsay Moss. "Jessica definitely has a chance to win," Quakers coach Demer Holleran said. "Jessica is a stronger player than everyone else in the tournament. In order to win, she has to put together multiple good matches and concentrate well all weekend." DiMauro and her teammates will not only have to play their best squash, but they will also have to keep themselves mentally focused to play two matches a day for three days. Hunsicker, who will be seeded somewhere from No.5 to No. 8, will be playing the final matches of her Penn career. Coming off an undefeated weekend two weeks ago at the Howe Cup, Hunsicker, who last year was named a second-team All-American, has an honest shot at making the finals. "I could possibly do it if I play my best squash," Hunsicker said. "This is my best shot at doing really well." If Hunsicker can get through her tough quarter- and semi-final matches, she could meet DiMauro in the final. "Two Penn players in the final -- I think that would be great," DiMauro said. Lipson, who just missed being seeded, should also fare well against the nation's best, as should Moss. "It's a big honor to represent your university," Holleran said. "It's great for individuals to prove themselves." Although Penn has an unusually strong representation at Intercollegiates this year, with two of its players seeded in the top eight, the focus will not be on the team, as usual, but on the individuals. The eventual Intercollegiates champion will earn the No. 1 ranking in the nation. Playing in the tournament is also the only way to gain consideration for the All-American teams. If all goes well, DiMauro may have add another trophy to her already impressive collection.