MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Like A Fine Wine

The third time’s the charm.

Reaching the finals of the ISA Individual Championships for the third year in a row, senior Kyla Grigg, captain of the Harvard women’s squash team, finally captured the gold, adding a long-coveted title to her already long list of accomplishments.

“That’s probably the most nervous I’ve ever been in a match because it was my last chance, the last time I ever could win it, so I had more pressure than normal,” Grigg said.

After taking second place her sophomore and junior years, Grigg succeeded in earning the national title in her final appearance, defeating Penn freshman Kristen Lange in four games for the win.

When Harvard men’s squash player Siddharth Suchde snagged the men’s title, he and Grigg became a part of Crimson squash history, bringing both individual titles back to Cambridge for the first time in 12 years.

With the victory, the top-seeded Grigg became the 10th Harvard player to take home the championship and the second straight after former Crimson star Lily Lorentzen secured the title last season.

But Grigg’s impact on the squad extended far beyond the glory of winning a single championship.

Just before the season began, Lorentzen—last year’s Ivy League Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year—transferred to Stanford, leaving Harvard with a vacancy in its No. 1 position.

After a lackluster junior season in the No. 2 spot, in which a second-place showing in nationals was the highlight of her rocky season, Grigg felt increased pressure to perform when she took over at No. 1. She wanted to prove to both herself and her returning teammates that she could be the Crimson’s go-to player this season.

“I came out of my worst season thus far in college, so I had to turn it around,” Grigg said. “Not only did I want to do really well for myself, but for the team. I wanted to come out really strong and have everyone not feel like they’d lost their No. 1.”

Although Harvard’s roster looked drastically different from the previous season, the Crimson—motivated by Grigg’s enthusiasm—pulled out two wins in its opening matches.

In its third match of the season, Harvard crushed Dartmouth in an easy 8-1 victory. Facing childhood rival and fellow Canadian Ashley Malenchak in the match, Grigg bagged a win in three quick games, soundly defeating Malenchak, 9-2, 9-3, 9-4.

But Grigg’s friendly competition with Malenchak was nothing compared with her college rivalry against Yale senior Catherine McLeod, who was named to the 2007 Women’s Squash All-Ivy Team. When the two had last met at the age of 16, McLeod defeated Grigg in the World Juniors in Penang, Malaysia.

This time, though, Grigg showed off the maturity and experience she had gained in her four years in college, overwhelming her long-time rival and avenging her loss with a four-game win.

As her own success continued, Grigg guided Harvard to the Howe Cup finals. Although the Crimson lost its momentum, falling short of a 12th national title, Grigg remained undefeated in the 2007 season, finishing with a 12-0 record in team play.

Her outstanding performance throughout the season helped her snag the Ivy League Player of the Year award. Grigg was also named an All-American for the second consecutive year.

“At the beginning of the year, we set up those goals, and those weren’t my goals,” Grigg said. “Those were icing on the cake, and it was really kind of nice to be recognized.”

Showered with accolades and individual honors, Grigg could not have ended her college career in a better way.

“I met all my goals, and that’s always a great feeling,” she added. “I couldn’t have asked for more.”

—Staff writer Courtney D. Skinner can be reached at cskinner@fas.harvard.edu.