Women's Squash's Gemmell Advances to National Final

Pictured: Laura Gemmell will place for the national title and Ramsay Cup Sunday.
Photo courtesy: Gil Talbot Photography

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Freshman Laura Gemmell of the Harvard women's squash team will play for the College Squash Assocation individual national championship Sunday, as she will face Trinity's Pamela Hathway at the Kellner Squash Center at 1:15 p.m.

Gemmell, who owns a perfect 15-0 record and helped the Crimson win the national team title last week, advanced to the national individual final by sweeping Yale's Logan Greer, 11-4, 14-12, 11-4.  Gemmell will attempt to become Harvard's 11th individual women's national champion and winner of the Ramsay Cup. 

Earlier in the day, Gemmell earned a spot in the semifinals of the "A" Division, defeating teammate Alisha Mashruwala in consecutive games, 11-0, 11-2, 11-6. 

After advancing to the quarterfinals Friday, Johanna Snyder suffered her first loss of the season, dropping her match to Penn's Kristen Lange in three sets, 11-3, 11-9, 11-3.  For their effort in the tournament, Gemmell, Snyder and Mashruwala will be honored as All-Americans.

Natasha Kingshott played her way to a berth in the consolation semifinals, as she earned a comeback victory against Trinity's Tehani Guruge after losing the first two games, 8-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-8.  Kingshott lost in the following round to Rachael Goh of Penn, 4-11, 11-2, 11-7, 13-11. June Tiong also made her way through the consolation bracket, edging Yale's Alia Aziz to reach the second consolation semifinals (10-12, 12-10, 5-11, 11-8, 11-4).  Tiong fell in her next match to Nayelly Hernandez Perez of Trinity in straight games, 11-5, 11-5, 11-8.

In the "B" Bracket, Katherine O'Donnell downed Robyn Williams of Trinity to move forward to the quarterfinal round.  O'Donnell lost the first game, 11-8, but rallied to take the next three, 11-9, 11-5, 11-6.  O'Donnell then made her way to the semifinal of the Holleran Cup, as she took down Dartmouth's Corey Schafer, 11-7, 11-4, 11-7. 

Bethan Williams also advanced to the semifinals, as she outplayed Acosta Rodriguez of Trinity, 7-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-4, 11-5.  Earlier on Saturday, Williams outlasted Stanford's Cecilia Haig in five games (9-11, 11-7, 6-11, 11-8, 11-2).  Cece Cortes dropped her third-round match to Acosta Rodriguez, 11-6, 11-1, 11-9).  Cortes then played her way to the third round consolation semifinals, defeating Cecilia Haig, 11-8, 11-9, 11-13, 11-5.