Tejvir Rathore

Gavin Johnstone-Butcher

October 23, 2003

GENEVA, N.Y.—The Hobart College squash team enters the 2003-04 season ranked 12th in the College Squash Association (CSA) preseason poll. Defending national champion Trinity College tops the rankings, while Harvard and Yale sit in the second and third spots, respectively.

Finishing with a 10-7 record in 2002-03, the Statesmen return seven of their top nine players, including junior Tejvir Rathore (Daly College/Indore, M.P., India.) and sophomore Gavin Johnstone-Butcher (St. Paul School/Bulawayo, Zimbabwe) in the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, respectively.

Ranked 30th in the preseason player rankings, Rathore closed out the season at 14-8, garnering runner-up honors in the Malloy Division of the CSA Individual Championships. Johnstone-Butcher posted a successful rookie campaign finishing with a 15-7 record and capturing the consolation draw title at the individual championships.

Marking the first year for the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association Squash Championships, the Statesmen are the highest ranked UCAA team. University of Rochester is the nearest conference foe at No. 20, while St. Lawrence, Hamilton, and Vassar are 24th, 26th, and 27th, respectively. The UCAA Championships will be held on Nov. 22-23, at St. Lawrence.

The non-conference schedule for Hobart is another tough one this year, matching up with three teams in the top-10, including top-ranked Trinity, and 10 squads from the top-20.

The Statesmen open the season on Nov. 15, traveling to Annapolis, Md. to play No. 16 Navy at 11 a.m., and No. 13 Denison at 4 p.m.