Happy ending eludes M. Squash

In his final collegiate match, Gilly Lane walked away from the College Squash Association National Team Championships with three wins and the Skillman Sportsmanship Award.

But he didn't walk away on a good note.

He may have succeeded Princeton star Yasser El-Halaby as the Skillman Award winner, but despite Lane's best efforts, the Quakers finished fifth in the three-day tournament after losing their first round match against Yale. Penn was placed in the No. 4 spot and Yale was given the No. 5 seed, but the Elis cruised to a 7-2 win on Friday as only Lane and junior Lee Rosen earned victories.

The Quakers finished off the weekend with 8-1 wins against No. 8 Dartmouth and No. 7 Williams on Saturday and Sunday.

While the result is tied for its best finish in coach Craig Thorpe-Clarke's eight-year career, Penn was understandably upset and disappointed with its performance against Yale. But the Quakers were able to look past the loss.

"Friday was disappointing; we were hoping to finish in the top four," senior captain Ben Ende said. "We reset our goals and focused on that five spot and not feeling bad for ourselves.

The Quakers' renewed focus resulted in a romp of Dartmouth on Saturday. Five Penn players won in straight sets, including Lane, Rosen, Graham Bassett, Andrew Zimmerman, and Ryan Rayfield.

"Everyone stepped up to the plate against No. 8 Dartmouth," Thorpe-Clarke said. "After a disappointing start we rebounded and played very well."

The Quakers' run continued as they beat Williams on Sunday.

Despite the lop-sided score, Penn had to battle hard for the victory in a four-and-a-half hour marathon. Seven of the matches were decided in the fifth set.

Yesterday "we had some very impressive performances," Thorpe-Clarke said. It was "one of the toughest matches we've had all year."

Bassett's battle against Ethan Buchsbaum in the sixth flight epitomized the day's events. Basset fell two-love to begin the match but won the next three, 9-7, 9-3, 9-4 to win.

"He fought back really hard," Ende said. "He has tremendous heart and never gives up."

Freshman Chris Thompson found himself in the same precarious position in the eighth spot when he battled Jeff Wessler back from 2-0. His match was especially dramatic, as he won the fifth set 10-8.

Trinity won the event from the No. 1 position, downing the Elis and shutting out No. 2 Princeton in the finals en route to its ninth straight national championship.

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