The Navy squash team has enjoyed success early on in the 2016-17 season, boasting a 12-1 record and a #14 national rankings. The Mids, however, will close out the calendar year this weekend on the road with two tough opponents in the form of #15 Middlebury (Saturday, 12-noon) and #8 Dartmouth (Sunday, 4:00 pm).

More on the Competition
Middlebury will officially open its season on Friday evening when it plays host to #9 Drexel. The Panthers are coming off a 13-6 season that saw them place 15th at the College Squash Association Team Championship. Middlebury returns six players off of last year's ladder, including seniors Wyatt French and Andrew Cadienhead who were its #2 and #3 players, respectively.

Navy owns a 4-2 advantage in matches played against Middlebury, including a 9-0 sweep against the Panthers at the CSA Team Championship a year ago.

Dartmouth, meanwhile, gets it season underway on Wednesday even when it travels to #3 Rochester. The Big Green will also face the defending National Champions Trinity on Saturday and #13 Franklin & Marshall on Sunday prior to the Navy match. Dartmouth turned in a 10-6 record a year ago and captured seventh in the Potter Cup at the CSA Team Championship. Seven players off its ladder a year ago return, including sophomore Carson Spahr who was the team's #1 player.

Dartmouth holds a 25-20 lead in a series that dates back to 1951. Navy won the first 15 matches of the series, but the Big Green have turned the tables and won each of the last 20 matches against the Mids. Dartmouth defeated Navy, 7-2, in Annapolis a year ago.

The Ladder
1. Jack Herold (Chicago, Ill.), 2. Senen Ubina (Greenwich, Conn.), 3. Dylan Sweeney (New York, N.Y.), 4. Owen Davis (Rydal, Pa.), 5. Will Walker (Scarborough, N.Y.), 6. Jamie Kjorlien (Greenwich, Conn.), 7. Michael Kacergis (Malvern, Pa.), 8. Randy Beck (Lafayette Hill, Pa.), 9. Alex Patricolo (Southampton, N.Y.)

Two members of the Mids' starting ladder enter the weekend with undefeated records. Freshman Michael Kacergis is atop the Mids' wins list this season with a 13-0 mark, primarily playing the #7 spot on the ladder. Meanwhile, senior team captain Randy Beck puts his 11-0 mark on the line this weekend as he inches closer to an elite list of players under head coach Craig Dawson who have won 70 career games. Beck owns the 15th-most career victories at Navy with 62 and trails his older brother by just four.

Posting an 11-1 record this season is junior Jack Herold who plays the #1 position on the ladder. Herold, meanwhile, stands 20th on Navy's career winning percentage list, earning wins in 71.7 percent (43-17) of the matches he has played in. Just being Herold on that list is sophomore Senen Ubina, who has won 30 of his 42 matches (.714), including nine of 11 this season.

Rookie Owen Davis (12-1) and Dylan Sweeney (11-1) have also reached double digits in the win category this season.

Up Next
Following this weekend's action, Navy step away from the court to focus on final exams and enjoy the holidays. The Mids return to action on Jan. 7-8 when they make the trek to Canada to face Western Ontario and play an exhibition against the Ontario All-Stars.


### Go Navy ###