The Colby women finished ranked 14th in the country and had a 7-10 record.

Rachel Luskin led Colby with 11 victories, while Julia Benedict had 10 wins. Nina Delano, Jenny Abramson, Emilie Slack and Nikki Patel added nine wins each. Stacy Petro played the entire season at the difficult first position.

Colby had a big 5-4 home win over Bowdoin College early in the season. The Mules played in the second division at nationals for teams ranked nine to 16. Colby lost tough matches to Amherst and then beat William Smith to earn the right to play Bowdoin in the 13th and 14th place match. Bowdoin took a hard-fought win and the Mules settled for the 14th ranking in the country.

Kathryn Lynch and Gillian Nadel both made the NESCAC Winter All-Academic Team.

Colby's women's squash team attained a national ranking of 12 with a 10-10 overall record for the 2003-04 squash season. The highlight of the season was placing fourth in their division at the National Team Championships after ousting Bowdoin in the first round. The following awards were given to the team's most outstanding players:

• Most Valuable Player - Julia Benedict '05
• Most Improved Player - Christin Reckman '04
• Rookie of the Year - Allison Dunn '07
• Student Athlete Award - Kate Dziedzic '07
• Coaches Award - Morgan Pratt '04

The 2004-05 squash season is expected to be another intense year with a minimum of 20 matches from November to March. Matches will be against the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) colleges and a few Ivy League schools. Important weekend competitions will be the Wesleyan Tournament (December 3-5), the Williams Tournament (January 7-9), the Amherst Tournament (January 14-16), the Bowdoin Event (February 11-13), and the National Team Championships (February 17-20). High among team goals is improving Colbyís second place standing in the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin (CBB) rivalry.

The Colby squash program is primarily geared to three things: fitness training, mental toughness, and improved shot-making ability.

As part of our fitness regiment the team runs a timed mile nearly every practice during the first half of the season. The runs are repeated occasionally during the second half of the season. The team also performs court sprints and star drills and has a weight lifting program. All of this training is done to ensure that every player is physically prepared for competition.

For mental toughness we discuss how to keep the correct frame of mind during critical times in a match. It is vital for all team players to understand the importance of keeping their cool under fire and to prepare for the competitive atmosphere Colby competes in. The approach is to have constant challenge matches and vigorous court drills. We believe that the more a player is kept under pressure, the more mentally tough that player will be when he or she needs it most.

Court strategy and shot-making ability is the center of attention during private sessions with the coach. Team discussions and court drills also play a major part in player development. Throughout the season the coaches will break down a player's game by distinguishing strengths from weaknesses and chart an individualized course to better court strategy.

All of the strategies above are combined with a heavy emphasis on proper stretching and nutrition. The goal is to maximize endurance to attain a higher performance level, both physically and mentally, while avoiding injury.

Finally, the squash program has been a rewarding experience in the college careers of all the student athletes who have participated in it. It is structured to challenge us throughout the season and to give us a sense of accomplishment in the end.

» About the Dunaway Squash Courts