The United States squad took home an individual bronze medal as well as a team bronze at the 2010 World University Squash Championships in Melbourne, Australia.
Led by newly named National Coach Paul Assaiante, the U.S. team, which is a collaboration between U.S. SQUASH and the CSA, consisted of Todd Harrity (Princeton University), Chris Hanson (Dartmouth College), Alex Domenick (Cornell University), Kristen Lange (formerly of the University of Pennsylvania) and Logan Greer (Yale University). The format of the event called for an individual tournament followed by a team competition
Harrity, a finalist at this past season’s intercollegiate individual championship, once again proved why he is one of the top players in the U.S. A veteran of international competition from his days of junior squash, he advanced all the way to the semifinals before losing to second-seeded Jens Schoor of Germany. Harrity bounced back from that loss to defeat Leo Au of Hong Kong to capture the bronze medal.
In the team competition, the U.S. started strong in pool play, defeating Austria and Australia to earn their place in the semifinals where eventual champion England proved too strong for the Americans, rolling to a 3-0 win. Canada, by virtue of its defeat at the hands of Hong Kong in the other semi, was matched against the U.S. in the battle for the team bronze. In one of the most closely contested matches of the tournament, the U.S. jumped out to a 1-0 advantage courtesy of an upset win by Lange over defending U.S. Intercollegiate champion Laura Gemmell of Harvard. Canada evened the tilt when the defending Men’s Intercollegiate champ, Colin West, also from Harvard, topped Harrity in four games. With the bronze medal in the balance, Hanson squared off against Fred Reid of Rochester University.
After winning the opening game 11-9, Hanson found himself in a hole after three, trailing 2-1. But a dominant 11-1 fourth game by Hanson left everything on the line in the fifth, which he secured 11-8—and the bronze medal for the US.
The team and individual bronze medals for the US, which finished in 8th place in 2008, is by far their best overall showing at the World University Squash Championships.
