MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – The No. 24 Tufts women's squash team finished their season on a high note, topping No. 23 Wellesley, 6-3, in the Walker Cup at the College Squash Association's Team Championships at Wesleyan on Sunday afternoon. The win helped the Jumbos improve their national ranking and avenged a loss to the Blue earlier this year.
The Jumbos entered play in the Walker Cup, which features the 17th through 24th ranked teams in the country, as No. 24th ranked team. But with the win over Wellesley, should move up in the national rankings.
With the win the Jumbos finish their season with a 13-9 mark. The 13 wins are the most in program history, dating back to 1999. During the 2013-14 season the Jumbos were 12-11.
Rookie Zarena Jafry picked up a three game win in the second position for the Jumbos, topping Meera Nayar, 11-6, 11-9, 11-7. In the third position, classmate Hannah Burns needed just three games to top Rhea Advani, 11-7, 11-7, 11-5. Sophomore Claudia Udolf needed five games, and two of those games went to extra points, but she pulled out a win over Navisha Gupta, 12-14, 11-7, 17-15, 9-11, 11-5.
Freshman Sinclair Meggitt fell in the first game in the seventh position, but then came back to top Kate Loftus, 7-11, 12-10, 11-5, 11-6. Rookie Chista Irani topped Ruby Feng in three games in the eighth position, 11-4, 12-10, 11-7. The last win for the Jumbos came in ninth position from sophomore Gabi Salomon who topped Meredith Curry in three games, 11-8, 11-7, 11-8.
Senior captain Paget Stanco took her match against Sarah Zhang in the first position to give games, but wasn't able to top her Blue counterpart, falling 11-6, 9-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5. Freshman Sahana Karthik faced off with Gabriella Wynne in the fourth position, but was bested 11-9, 11-7, 11-6. Rounding out the Jumbos line up was sophomore Lauren Banner in the fifth position. Banner won the second game, but wasn't able to top Haley Connor, 11-6, 9-11, 11-4, 11-8.
Play in the Walker Cup wraps up the team portion of the Jumbos schedule for the 2015-16 season, as the only competition left is the College Squash Association's Individual Championships.
