A T HLE T IC S


Rewriting Squash’s Record Books


I


n April, MAC’s own Julian Illingworth made history, winning a seventh straight national title.


Having equaled the 88-year-old U.S.


Men’s Closed Championship record, Illingworth has established himself as the best U.S. men’s international squash player ever. Illingworth is one of only two players to win a title as a junior collegiate player, and has been winning ever since. He reached a career high of No. 28 on the world Professional Squash Association (PSA) ranking recently, higher than any other U.S. squash player. He has four PSA


Illingworth has established himself as the best U.S. men’s international squash player ever.


titles, and is the only U.S. player to make it past the first round of the Tournament of Champions in New York, the most presti- gious international squash tournament in the U.S.


Illingworth went to Lincoln High School and played squash at Yale, where he was a four-time All-American and All-Ivy selection. He won his first two national titles while at the school, and has been the No. 1 player in the U.S. since Feburary 2007. In 2009, he became the first American since 1977 to make it to the second round of a world championship in Kuwait. Illingworth, who lives in New York


City, was back in Portland in May to wed longtime friend Sarah Hopkins, and brought with him eight of his squash tour friends to put on an exhibition tourna- ment. The MAC was treated to three days of fantastic elite squash in a fun, semi- competitive format. Outside the rigors of PSA tournament events, players took liberties with shot-making and occasional on-court antics. Thanks to Jamie Daigle and Anders Giltvedt for organizing this event.


Collegiate Success For Perkiomaki


MAC’s Adam


Perkiomaki returns home this summer from the University of Rochester with squash honors. At the 2011 Liberty League End-of- Season Awards, Adam was recog- nized as Player of the Year and Most Improved Player of the Year, and narrowly missed selection as an All American (one point). Adam had a 12-1 record in the regular


season with his only


loss in a Princeton five-game set (11-8 in game five). He defeated his counterparts at Trinity, Cornell and Princeton at CSA Team nationals. “I got interested from watching dad


play, and my coach really inspired me,” Perkiomaki said in a recent interview when asked how he became involved in squash. “My coach was once a Pakistani national team captain and he really influ- enced me and motivated me. He got me excited to play. Funny thing is, when he gave us lessons, he would make us compete with him to win prizes, like a milkshake. He would let me lead a little to tease me but eventually he would always win.”


That coach is, of course, is MAC’s Khalid Mir.


Family Clinic


The family squash clinics will continue to build on previous years’ success starting again this September. The primary goals of family clinic are for children and adults


Julian Illingworth was featured on the cover of Squash Magazine after winning a seventh consecutive U.S. title. He put on an exhibition tournament at MAC in May.


to play together with advanced players and member coaches to encourage members to play squash. Family clinic starts the weekend after Labor Day and runs most Sundays through April, excluding holi- days, from 11 a.m.-noon. Family clinic is a low-key, relaxed and fun time to experi- ence the sport of squash.


Junior team squash returns again and hopes to build on last years’ success. The program runs on Sundays from November through February from noon-1 p.m. Contact member coach Dave Spiro at davespiro@gmail.com for more infor- mation.


–Dave Spiro WM


AUGUST 2011 | The Wınged M | 53


COURTESY OF JAY D. PRINCE/SQUASH MAGAZINE


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