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Lining Them Up

Winning Racquets

One of the lesser known Crimson sports is currently enjoying something of a reign of success. This is the squash team, which after a winless period of informal wartime play, has come back to take all but three of its postwar marches. And Saturday's Commanding 7 to 0 conquest of McGill indicates that the era of Harvard squash success is going to continue for another year at least.

When spring graduation took the squad's top four men, including Captain Adam Foster who for two years had been number one man, Coach Jack Barnaby's headaches were many. Then he took a real look at two of Cory Winn's freshman stars. When thrown into competition for a varsity job, the two-Adam Foster's youngest brother Henry, and Joe Clark--Immediately proceeded to beat all of Barnaby's Veterans. In less than two weeks of fall practice, Foster and Clark were the new one and two men, and Barnaby's biggest worries were solved.

Besides Henry Foster and Clark, Barnaby has more valuable material in another Foster. Hugh, and in Captain Jim McKittrick and Milt Heath, who round out the first five. "We've got a good squad," Barnaby says, "because our number three, four, and five men have the experience against top competition. And what out number one and two may lack in experience, they certainly make up in caliber of play." Henry foster and Clark both whipped McGill's best Saturday in straight sets.

Henry has all the qualities for future success and by the time he graduates he could easily leave a better record behind than did brother Adam. he relies on all-around play with clever placements and mancuvering, qualities which make Barnaby call him "a skill player" and not purely a fast shooter. Clark's strength comes from his bullet serve and hard smashes.

The only possible team weakness is depth. While the Crimson's first positions are well filled, the six, seven, eight, and nine slots count just as much in matches as do the first five. Competing for the lower berths are a number of greener, less experienced men. Among these is Charlie Ames, former jayvee who is now in number five in place of heath who will not be available until after Christmas. Others are Hugh Nawn, Bob Fischelis, Frank Cabot, and George Plimpton, who was time team.

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Next game coming up for the team is one this Friday at Amherst, followed on Saturday by a match with Dartmouth at Hanover. Both these squads have never beaten Harvard in formal league play (the league goes back to the early 'thirties). "But that's what worries me." Coach Barnaby says. "All the teams are-laying for us. Everywhere we play, the other team is out to get Harvard".

The rest of the schedule lists matches with MIT and Williams before Christmas, and, after the vacation, with Wesleyan, Penn, Army, Princeton, and Yale. The last three will be the toughest, since the Tigers are strong this year, and traditionally loaded Yale and Army are the only teams to beat the Crimson since the war. After the Ell contest come the all-important intercollegiate championships.

One of the prime reasons for Crimson squash success is the large number of matches played. outside of the regular intercollegiate engagements, five Harvard units take part in the daily metropolitan league in which Massachusetts top racquets stare are playing for such teams as the Harvard Club, University Club, and the Union Boat Club. "I'II bet we play more often than any other sport at Harvard." Barnaby says. During the Christmas vacation, any Crimson team members who happen to be in New. York will have plenty of opportunities to keep in shape.

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