.png&width=24&type=webp)
Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
ISA Singles Tournament
El Halaby Reaches Quarterfinals Of National Singles Tournament
March 05, 2004 | Men's Squash
March 6, 2004
Yasser El Halaby cruised through the first two days of the CSA national individual championships Friday, and will take on Trinity's Reggie Schonborn in the quarterfinals on Saturday. All other Princeton players, men and women, were eliminated in the quest for a nation title.
El Halaby defeated Dartmouth's Todd Wood in the first round 3-0, and then topped Denison's Javie Castilla 3-0 in the second round. The defending national champion needs to win three more matches to repeat his 2003 honors. It won't be an easy road, as 2001 champion Bernard Samper lingers as a possible semifinal opponent, and No. 2 Julian Illingworth could meet El Halaby in the final. Illingworth is the only player to defeat El Halaby this season, as those two split a pair of matches.
Vincent Yu, Michael Gilman, Nate Beck and Dent Wilkins were all eliminated from the championship bracket, but Yu is still alive in the consolation bracket and will take on Yale's Gavin Cumberbatch this afternoon. In the women's tournament, named the Gail Ramsay Cup in honor of the Princeton coach's four straight championships during her tenure at Penn State, both freshmen Claire Rein-Weston and Ali Pearson advanced to the second round before being eliminated. Amazingly, both did with dramatic 10-9 wins in the fifth games of their respective matches; Rein-Weston defeated Penn's Rhea Bhandare 9-6;9-5;9-10;5-9;10-9, and Pearson topped Trinity's Larissa Stephenson 9-6;8-10;2-9;9-5;10-9. Although both would take one game in their next matches, neither had enough to upset their higher-ranked opponents.
Anina Nolan, Marilla Hiltz and Genevieve Lessard were both eliminated in the first round. Lessard is still alive in the consolation draw.
Full tournament brackets are available at here.