In this weekend's College Squash Association (CSA) Individual Championships, the country's best talent will travel to Trinity College to compete for an individual crown. Among the competitors, juniors Alex Gross and Valerie Koo are expected to make the trip to represent Tufts in bracket play, which is divided into divisions based on individual national rankings.
"I won't find out my opponent or where I am seeded until this weekend," Gross said. "The top 32 players play in the ‘A' tournament and the next 48 play in the ‘B' flight. That is where I'll be, and I'm hoping that I will draw a high seed."
Historically, Tufts has fared better in consolation matches than in the main bracket games. Last year, for instance, Gross lost in the first round in four games, but entering into the consolation bracket, he catapulted all the way to the semifinals, a run that included an impressive five−match victory in the quarterfinals against then−freshman Will Ahmed of Harvard. This year, the 2009 First−Team All−NESCAC player is hoping to find similar success if the main draw does not pan out.
"Last year I played a good first round match, but I did lose in four," Gross said. "It was disappointing, but I was happy with how I did in the consolations, losing in the semifinals. This year, I'm really hoping to win that first round and move on, so that I'm in the top half of the second flight no matter what.
"Hopefully, the first round match will go well, but after that, who knows?" he continued. "It would be very difficult to pull off a second win, but if I don't, I'll shift my attention to competing in the consolations."
Similarly, representatives of the women's squad were eliminated early in division matchups last year, but senior Stefanie Marx also made a run into the semifinals in the consolation bracket. In the first Individual Championships appearance of her career, Koo shares a similar goal as Gross in edging out main−draw rivals but understands the importance of a strong showing even in the consolation matches.
"I think I'm going to face some tough competition in the first round, but the draws haven't been released yet," Koo said. "I'm pretty sure I'll see players I've seen this year or the year before … If I lose in the first round, I should be playing people around my level in the consolation bracket, which should also be difficult, but I'm hoping I'll make a run to the finals in consolation matches."
After both squads showcased some of their best performances all season in nationals last weekend — with the men's team making it to the semifinals and the women's squad competing in the finals — the CSA Individual Championship will serve as an added bonus for Koo and Gross, both of whom hold pride in their team records of 6−14 and 12−12 on the year, respectively. Nevertheless, the tournament serves as one last determinant of individual performance before the players head into the offseason.
"I was very happy with how this team performed at nationals ... losing to Amherst in the semis 5−4 and then beating GW in a very impressive match," Gross said. "I've personally played pretty well, I started off slow and came off from abroad a little rusty, but I've slowly gotten a little better with each weekend. I think this tournament will be kind of like a bonus. If I do well, great, but if I don't, it won't take away from my impression of this season.
"I think my performance will be a good indication of where I stand as a player and hopefully any improvement I've made as a player … I think it will be a fair indication of my performance this season," he said.
