Though team competition has come to an end and the final home matches of the 1999-2000 men's and women's squash seasons have already been played, nine Princeton players have one more shot.
Starting Friday, a select group of players from the men's and women's squash teams will compete in the National Intercollegiate Squash Racquets Association Individual Championships and the Women's Intercollegiate Squash Association Individual Championships, respectively, at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass.
Highlighting the Tigers' entrants will be defending national champions senior Peter Yik and junior Julia Beaver.
Also representing men's squash are sophomore Peter Kelly and freshmen David Yik, Will Evans and Dan Rutherford. Seniors Liz Kelly and Blair Irwin, as well as junior Meredith Quick will join Beaver in the women's tournament.
Motivation
Each Princeton player comes into the tournament with slightly different goals. Top seeds Peter Yik and Julia Beaver are looking to repeat last year's performance.
"I'd love to be able to defend my national championship," Yik said. "It would be huge if I could win it again."
In order for him to do so, Yik will have to get past Trinity's Marcus Cowie and Harvard's Tim Wyant, both of whom he has already defeated this season. But Yik isn't looking past them or anyone else in the draw.
"Those two guys are obviously the best players," Yik said. "[But] the rest of the draw is going to be filled with other great guys. I can't expect any match to be a walkover."
Yet, while some players are entering the competition with the attitude of winning the whole tournament, others are hoping to have a good final showing.
"I feel prepared, but am not really sure how I'm going to do," Peter Kelly said. "I don't expect to win the tournament, but I do expect to do well."
'Big Dance'
The men and women will participate in their respective draws of 64 players from a variety of different colleges. Because this is an individual tournament, matchups between Princeton players are a possibility.
"It's unfortunate that you have to travel all that way to play someone from your team," Liz Kelly said. "I would obviously prefer to play someone else."
These Princeton players, however, are no strangers to competing against their own. In addition to playing against each other in various challenge matches throughout the season, some players have competed against fellow team members in past individual championships. Peter Kelly played last year's captain Alan Cantlin '99 in the NISRA Individual tournament's consolation round last year.
Finale
This weekend's competition is also meaningful for a different reason to some Princeton players. For Peter Yik, Irwin and Liz Kelly, this tournament marks the culmination of their Princeton squash careers.
"It's definitely sad that it's my last tournament," Kelly said. "I'm also excited though, because it's my last opportunity to play my best."
Yik agrees that though the nostalgic sentiments are strong, he wants to remain focused on his matches.
"The emotions are running high," Yik said. "There's definitely added pressure, but at the same time, I'm trying not to think about it too much."
Though the season and some careers are ending, everyone seems to be looking forward to the tournament.
"People are going because they want to be there," women's head coach Gail Ramsay said. "They are ready to go and ready to do as best as they possibly can."
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