CANTON, N.Y. (February 10, 2024) – The No. 27-ranked and fourth-seeded Denison University men's squash team began the 2024 Liberty League Championship with a 6-3 win over No. 31-ranked and fifth-seeded Haverford College in the quarterfinals before falling 9-0 to the No. 15-ranked and top-seeded University of Rochester in the semifinals. It was the second year in a row the Big Red have advanced to the third-place match at the Liberty League Championship after also doing so in their inaugural appearance at the championship a year ago.
Denison started off the match against Haverford with 3-0 wins by
Charlie Fenwick and
Chase Lenfest at the No. 3 and No. 6 seeds, respectively. That made it a 2-1 Big Red lead before a 3-0 (11-3, 11-5, 11-4) win at the No. 1 seed by
Juan Felipe Hernandez made it 3-1.
Lucas Piller then fell 3-1 (13-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-8) to Benjamin Schiltz at the No. 4 seed while
Jackson Bragman defeated Francis Betkowski 3-0 (11-7, 11-9, 11-8) at the No. 7 seed, bringing Denison to within a point of the win up 4-2.
The match-winning point came at the No. 2 seed when
Tarun Mammen came back from dropping the first set to winning 3-1 (6-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-7) over Aaryaman Jaising.
Moments later
Ross Falcon finished off a 3-0 (11-9, 11-4, 11-5) win over Qianzhi Zhao at the No. 5 seed.
Denison's best match against Rochester was a 3-1 (11-0, 9-11, 11-4, 11-5) defeat for Lenfest against Tom Whiteley at the No. 6 seed. Rochester is currently the Liberty League's top-ranked team and has won 10 Liberty League championships all time, including four straight.
Denison will take on No. 21-ranked and second-seeded Hobart College in the third-place match starting at 10 a.m. on Sunday, February 11. Hobart defeated No. 34-ranked and seventh-seeded Bard College 9-0 in the quarterfinals before being upset 5-4 by No. 24-ranked and third-seeded St. Lawrence University the semifinals.
Denison 6, Haverford 3:
1S:
Juan Felipe Hernandez def. Noah Tunis 3-0 (11-3, 11-5, 11-4)
2S:
Tarun Mammen def. Aaryaman Jaising 3-1 (6-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-7)
3S:
Charlie Fenwick def. Peter Lehv 3-0 (11-5, 11-9, 11-9)
4S: Benjamin Schiltz def.
Lucas Piller 3-1 (13-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-8)
5S:
Ross Falcon def. Qianzhi Zhao 3-0 (11-9, 11-4, 11-5)
6S:
Chase Lenfest def. Arvin Krishnan 3-0 (11-3, 11-9, 11-7)
7S:
Jackson Bragman def. Francis Betkowski 3-0 (11-7, 11-9, 11-8)
8S: Daniel Braun def.
Rayan Dar 3-1 (11-6, 11-5, 12-14, 11-9)
9S: Garret Fantini def.
Owen Mullaly 3-1 (1-11, 13-11, 11-1, 11-3)
Denison 0, Rochester 9:
1S: Yash Fadte def.
Juan Felipe Hernandez 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-4)
2S: AbdelRahman Lasheen def.
Tarun Mammen 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-7)
3S: Omar Zakaria def.
Charlie Fenwick 3-0 (11-4, 11-7, 11-1)
4S: Alejandro Porras Diaz def.
Lucas Piller 3-0 (11-9, 11-7, 11-5)
5S: Vandrick Inman-Benavente def.
Ross Falcon 3-0 (11-6, 11-7, 11-7)
6S: Tom Whiteley def.
Chase Lenfest def. 3-1 (11-0, 9-11, 11-4, 11-5)
7S: Arnav Mandhana def.
Jackson Bragman 3-0 (11-6, 11-7, 11-5)
8S: Nicholas Gill def.
Rayan Dar 3-0 (11-2, 11-7, 11-5)
9S: Varun Kumar def.
Owen Mullaly (Default - injury)
