Sophomore newcomer Ashley Harmeling posted the best results for Amherst as she advanced all the way to the championship match before finally losing to senior Merrill Muckerman of Bowdoin College, 9-7, 9-3, 10-9.
Senior co-captains Susanna Burke and Roopali Agarwal also posted solid results in their last collegiate tournament.
Burke advanced to the semi-finals of the B flight before losing to Harmeling in a hard-fought match between teammates. Harmeling was able to beat her senior captain with a solid 9-7, 9-3, 9-0 victory.
Although Harmeling made it to the finals, she did not have many easy victories en route to placing second out of the 32 competitors. Nonetheless, she began the weekend with a 9-1, 9-0, 9-2 victory over Nikki Patel of Colby College in her first round match.
Harmeling then followed with a marathon five game victory over NESCAC rival Williams College's Andrea Berberian in the round of 16. In the quarterfinals, Harmeling was able to outlast her opponent Laura Kimble of St. Lawrence University in a grueling five game victory 9-3, 4-9, 9-7, 2-9, 9-3 before eventually defeating teammate Burke in the semifinals.
Although Burke was not able to win her semifinal match with Harmeling, she faced a much easier road to the round of four. She easily defeated Wellesley College's Hannah Whang 9-2, 9-3, 9-1 in the round of 32, and went on to steamroll past Mount Holyoke College's Nusrat Madraswal 9-0, 9-7, 9-3 in the round of 16. In her quarterfinal matchup, Burke had no problem dispensing of Phoebe Anderson 9-7, 9-2, 9-0.
In addition to her impressive showing at the Individual Championships, Burke won the prestigious Ann Wetzel Award, which is given to the top senior who began their squash career at the collegiate level. This national award is named in honor of the former University of Pennsylvania coach.
Senior co-captain Roopali Agarwal also had a successful weekend at the Individual Champion-ships. First, Agarwal easily defeated Tracy Nichols 9-4, 9-5, 9-5 in the opening round before rolling past Morgan Pratt 9-1, 9-5, 9-0 in the round of 16. In the quarterfinals, Agarwal lost to eventual champion Muckerman.
Agarwal commented on the top three's success over the weekend by saying, "It was the best nationals that I have been to. The three of us performed the best we played all season, and it was a high note to end the season on," she said. "I believe that Ashley will have a successful career over the next two years, and she should definitely improve on her national results."
The Jeffs finished the 2002-03 season with a record of 13-11 and ranked 11th in the final national polls. Despite graduating two of their top three players this May, the Jeffs should be optimistic about their future.
The Amherst women will return many players to next year's squad, and the experience that the sophomores have gained this season should turn out to be valuable in the years to come, as Harmeling and company vie to become one of the elite programs in the country.