STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford's 2018-19 campaign was punctuated by a 5-4 victory over Princeton to secure a third-place finish at the CSA National Championships, representing its best Howe Cup performance in school history.
Earning a final No. 3 national ranking, Stanford (8-5) produced a pair of program-defining milestones during its unprecedented run at the CSA National Championships. The Cardinal began the tournament with a 5-4 victory over Yale, winning an opening-round match for the first time in school history. Since losing 10 of the previous 13 matches against Yale, the series has flipped in favor of Stanford, which has won four of the last five meetings.
After shaking off a 9-0 loss to five-time defending champion Harvard in the semifinals, Stanford bounced back to defeat Princeton for only the second time in 16 attempts. Freshman Elena Wagenmans rallied past Hiu Lam Lui 12-10, 4-11, 6-11, 11-6, 14-12 at the No. 1 spot, clinching Stanford's first win over the Tigers since a 6-3 victory in 2009.
Seniors Caroline Kimmel, Anna Marie Manning, Grayson Melby, Lucy Rowe and Tara Shannon contributed greatly to Stanford's success. Looking ahead to 2020, the Cardinal will return six of its nine lineup regulars.
? Upset of No. 2 Princeton
— Stanford Squash (@StanfordSquash) February 24, 2019
? First national semifinal appearance
? Four of last five vs. Yale
It all adds up to third place. #GoStanford https://t.co/F5M9db9LkM
CSA National Individual ChampionshipsThree Cardinal players competed in the CSA National Individual Championships in Providence, Rhode Island, from March 1-3. Elena Wagenmans and Juliette Love came away with runner-up consolation finishes in their respective brackets while Amita Gondi was eliminated in the main draw quarterfinals.
Elena Wagenmans – Ramsay Cup
Main Round of 16: lost to Min Jie Teh (Trinity) 10-12, 11-3, 11-8, 11-7
Consolation Quarterfinals: d. Helen Teegan (Yale) 11-9, 11-5, 11-1
Consolation Semifinals: d. Zoe Foo Yuk Han (George Washington) 11-8, 6-11, 11-3, 8-11, 11-5
Consolation Championship: lost to Lucy Beecroft (Yale) 12-10, 11-8, 13-11
Amita Gondi – Holleran Cup (B Division North)
Main Round of 16: d. Emily Woodworth (Virginia) 12-10, 12-10, 11-5
Main Draw Quarterfinals: lost to Kalahe Arachchige (Mount Holyoke) 11-7, 11-4, 2-11, 6-11, 11-9
Juliette Love – Holleran Cup (B Division West)
Main Round of 16: lost to Nghi Nguyen (Cornell) 13-11, 11-5, 11-7
Consolation Quarterfinals: d. Abby LeBlanc (Williams) 12-10, 11-5, 11-3
Consolation Semifinals: d. Sarah Willwerth (Williams) 11-7, 11-7, 11-3
Consolation Championship: lost to Lily Zelov (Cornell) 11-6, 11-9, 11-6
CSA Postseason HonorsFreshman Elena Wagenmans put the finishing touch on an outstanding debut season, being named a CSA First-Team All-American as Stanford's lone selection.
Wagenmans, who provided the clinching point in Stanford's victory over Princeton in the third-place game, finished the year at 10-7 overall and ranked No. 10 in the country.
Only a freshman, Elena Wagenmans plays No. 1 for a @StanfordSquash team on the verge of unprecedented success.#GoStanfordhttps://t.co/etFJN0pso7
— Stanford Athletics (@GoStanford) February 12, 2019
CSA All-Americans must compete in at least 50 percent of their team's matches and participate in the Individual Championships to be considered for All-America status. The second team is comprised of the association's players ranked No. 11-20. Placement on the All-American teams is primarily based on the final individual rankings of the season (following Individual Championships).
Additionally, the Cardinal was represented with three CSA Scholar Athlete recipients. The award is presented to juniors or seniors who have played on the team throughout their college career, participated in the majority of the team's matches in the top-10 of the lineup during the season and achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher.
| Name | Year | GPA (Major) |
|---|---|---|
| Chloe Chemtob | Jr. | 3.87 (Human Biology) |
| Lucy Rowe | Sr. | 3.62 (Psychology) |
| Tara Shannon | Sr. | 3.65 (Bioengineering) |
Final Season RecordsUnderclassmen accounted for 39 of Stanford's total 72 victories this season. Sophomore Juliette Love led the way with an 11-6 record, followed by rookies Amita Gondi and Elena Wagenmans contributing 10 wins apiece. Sophomore Caroline Neave added eight victories.
| Name | Year | Overall Record |
|---|---|---|
| Juliette Love | So. | 11-6 |
| Amita Gondi | Fr. | 10-5 |
| Elena Wagenmans | Fr. | 10-7 |
| Caroline Neave | So. | 8-5 |
| Grayson Melby | Sr. | 7-3 |
| Anna Marie Manning | Sr. | 7-4 |
| Lucy Rowe | Sr. | 5-8 |
| Tara Shannon | Sr. | 5-8 |
| Casey Wong | Jr. | 4-5 |
| Chloe Chemtob | Jr. | 4-7 |
| Caroline Kimmel | Sr. | 1-4 |
In her final days on The Farm, senior Tara Shannon reflects on her transition from Canada to the Bay Area and her leadership role in Stanford's best program finish. #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/uVAiUvoIg9
— Stanford Squash (@StanfordSquash) June 5, 2019
Chaffe Award For Team SportsmanshipStanford was also the 2019 recipient of the Chaffee Award for Team Sportsmanship, announced during the final day of the CSA National Championships. The Cardinal last won the award in 2013.
"It is so nice to have your peers vote you for this award," said head coach Mark Talbott. "The women and I are really pleased and proud to be honored in this way."
The Chaffee Award is given annually to a women's team coach whose team has demonstrated the qualities of sportsmanship, teamwork, character and improvement. In 1987, the women's squash team at Williams College donated the award in honor of their former coach, Clarence C. Chaffee, who founded Williams's squash program in 1938. Chaffee coached the school's first intercollegiate team in 1939 and led the program until his retirement in 1970.
In the words of Jack Barnaby, the legendary Harvard coach and longtime friend and colleague of Chaffee: "If ever I had a favorite amongst my rival coaches. it had to be 'Chafe'… His love of competition, his unfailing sense of fair play, and the values he and his wife exemplified to all his players made him such a beloved coach that his fame went far and wide and still flourishes today. I know I speak for all the coaches of his era when I pay him tribute: We loved him, too."