Freshman Kumar wins Constable Invite

Thanks to a talented class of 2010, an old rivalry is being rekindled in women's squash. Princeton and Penn, who finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the country a year ago, appear to be on a collision course for the national championship.

The action this weekend at the Constable Invitational, an individual championship hosted by Princeton for the top women in the country, confirmed the expectations surrounding the two teams.

What began on Saturday as a showcase of the nation's premier talent quickly turned into a showdown between the Tigers and the Quakers, both of whom are ranked in the top-four in the Preseason Coaches Poll. Seven quarterfinalists and all four semifinalists represented one of the two schools. Even more impressive, all four of the semifinalists were freshmen.

"The play this weekend reinforced two things," junior Carly Grabowski said. "Penn is the team to beat, and the freshmen will be instrumental to both teams as we compete for the national championship."

If this weekend's results are any indication, Princeton is well positioned for that championship run. Tiger freshman Neha Kumar, the tournament's No. 1 seed, utilized her confidence and smart play to claim her first collegiate title.

Kumar quickly disposed of her first three opponents before meeting a familiar opponent in the final: Penn freshman Kristen Lange. The two, who battled throughout their pre-collegiate careers, squared off in this year's preseason scrimmage, with Lange claiming a 3-1 victory.

On Sunday, however, Kumar avenged her earlier defeat. The two exchanged victories through the first four games, setting up a decisive fifth game in which Kumar outlasted her opponent, 9-7. When all was said and done, the freshman standout had defeated three Quakers in succession to emerge the champion.

"Victory always feels good, especially in the college ranks," Kumar said. "I'm very happy to start out the season strong."

Fellow Princeton freshman Amanda Seibert enjoyed similar success, defeating counterparts from Trinity and Penn before falling to Lange in the semifinals. Seibert rebounded from this loss to beat Quaker freshman Sydney Scott and claim third place.

The Orange and Black was also represented by senior tri-captain Claire Rein-Weston, junior Casey Riley and Grabowski. Rein-Weston won her first match before falling in the quarterfinals to eventual finalist Lange, while both Riley and Grabowski dropped their first round matches and entered the consolation bracket.

Riley, an All-America selection last year, seized the opportunity. She won three consecutive matches, including a semifinal victory over Penn foe Tara Chawla, to finish as the consolation champion.

"I played really well this weekend," Riley said. "I had been struggling the past three weeks, so it is nice to build some confidence heading into the heart of the team season."

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Even though the Constable is an individual tournament, the Tigers emerged a stronger team. They established a winning record against the Quakers this weekend and seem to have rebuilt their confidence after losing their preseason scrimmage.

"[This weekend] definitely sets the bar high for us and adds more pressure, but I think we're ready and have a great lineup to do extremely well this year," Kumar said.

"We proved that we have the depth and strength to beat the top college teams, but it will be far from easy," Siebert added.

The two rivals meet once in the regular season on Jan. 31 in Jadwin Gym. Princeton resumes its team competitions this Saturday at Brown.