Oct. 18, 2006

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The 2006-07 Navy varsity and junior varsity squash teams combined to defeat the Mids' alumni squad last Saturday, 14-7. The Bowen Cup, named after Vice Adm. Harold G. Bowen Jr. who was a member of the Class of 1933, has been a long-standing tradition at the Naval Academy. The event brings together former and current squash players and is held annually during Homecoming Weekend. This year, 21 alumni represented five decades of Navy squash, including Robin Pirie who is from the Class of '55 and won his match.

Current Navy players won the top seven matches, including a 3-0 victory by freshman Nils Mattsson (Spring House, Pa.) over Peter Liebert. Former All-American Scott Ryan from the Class of '67 edged out freshman Teddy George (West Hartford, Conn.), while Jeff Davila, an All-American out of the Class of '86, handed Navy sophomore Will Pappas (Philadelphia, Pa.) a 3-1 defeat. Junior Tucker George (West Hartford, Conn.),, who spent the end of August playing at the World Collegiate Squash Championship in Hungary, defeated Chance Mims ( Class of '97) in a battle between the current and former Barb Trophy winners. A two-sport athlete, junior Jeff Sawin (Haverford, Pa.) stepped away from the golf course to shut down 2005-06 squash captain and former teammate Scott Hackman, 3-0.

One highlight of the day was the announcement by Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk that Navy will begin construction of two new exhibition courts to complete the Halsey International Squash Courts Complex. Construction of these courts, an estimated 4-5 month project, is the result of an ongoing fund-raising effort by the Naval Academy Foundation and the Friends of Navy Squash with the support of the Superintendent, Vice Adm. Rodney Rempt, and the Naval Academy Athletic Association (NAAA). On behalf of the Naval Academy, head coach Craig Dawson has made a request to the College Squash Association to host the 2008 National Individual Championship.

"With the addition of the two exhibition courts, it should further elevate our program and showcase one of the finest facilities in the Mid-Atlantic States," said Gladchuk.

2006 Bowen Cup Results - Navy varsity 14, Alumni 7Tucker George '08 def. Chance Mims '97                    3-0Nils Mattsson '10 def. Peter Liebert '00                  3-0Alastair Smith '09 def. Andrew Crawford '01               3-0Jeff Sawin '08 def. Scott Hackman '06                     3-0Michael John Beautyman Jr. '09 def. Dhruv parashar '06    3-0Ben Mantica '10 def. Patrick Kruse '06                    3-0Dan Hellier '07 def. Bret Lowry '97                       3-0Scott Ryan '67 def. Teddy George '10                      3-2Todd Hall '86 def. Allen Hartley '09                      3-2Jeff Davila '86 def. Will Pappas '09                      3-1Matt Wiggins '08 def. Andy McCartney '92                  3-1Vance Villarreal '07 def. Rob Ketter '79                  3-0Rick Baxter '71 def. Kyle Arneson '10                     3-2Kevin Liu '08 def. Bob Custer                             3-2Justin Langan '10 def. Steve Abbot '66                    3-0William Eucker '08 def. Lloyd Abbot '65                   3-0John Barstow '09 def. Jerry Welch '64                     3-1Dan Akerson '70 def. Ben Judy '08                         3-1Pete Latimer '60 def. Arlen Connelly '08                  3-1Robin Pirie '55 def. John Grider '10                      3-0Zach Buzzato '08 def. Bud Parker '55                      3-0