December 10, 1999

Dear Alumni, Friends and Parents,

The 1999-2000 Princeton women’s squash season is well under way and I am finally taking some time to sit down and tell you about this season. I will also be introducing the 1999-2000 squad to you and updating you on the special events. Before I start, I thought a quick review of last season would be appreciated. If you haven’t already heard, we finished the season with another national team title (Howe Cup Trophy). We avenged a 5-4 loss to Harvard (during the regular season) with an exciting 5-4 victory a week later at The Howe Cup to win the national crown. We won at positions 1, 3, 4, 8 and 9. Needless to say, the team was thrilled, and the coaching staff (Richard Hankinson and I) were impressed with the effort and determination each and every Princeton Tiger exhibited. I was delighted to see the seniors go out on such a positive note and with such impressive career results: Two second place finishes at the Howe Cup, one Ivy League title, one undefeated season and two back-to-back national titles (our first title since 1991). To top it off we were fortunate to have Betty Constable present at the final match to cheer us on and to share the moment with us. Along with Betty, we enjoyed the needed support from parents, alumni and friends at the match. A little cheering goes a long way and it makes the event even more exciting. Thanks so much for your support. Finally, I want to recognize the six seniors in the Class of 1999 who we will greatly miss this year. Things are very different without their tremendous leadership abilities and their engaging personalities that added so much to the team during the past four years. A final farewell and many, many thanks to Sarah Wimmer (co-captain), Elise O’Connell (two-time co-captain), Bebeth Schenk, Meghan Murphy, Liz Arens and Avery Coleman. We think of you often and remember all that you have given and done for the program.

I regret to say Richard Hankinson has retired from college coaching after an outstanding eight years of service. He began working as an assistant coach when Emily Goodfellow ’76 (1991-94) was the coach and then worked another five years with me. His endless hours of hard work, support and guidance have contributed greatly to each and every team member’s experience while at Princeton. Princeton women’s squash was lucky to have such a dedicated and knowledgeable coach, and we will miss him and wish him the best in his future squash ventures. He has taken on the responsibility of developing and coaching of the varsity girls' team at Stuart Country Day School.

This year’s squad as I mentioned, will miss the six graduated seniors who controlled six positions in the top 11 slots. We lost our number 2, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 players who rarely lost a match in their four years at Princeton. But needless to say, we have some talented returning players and several freshmen whom are very competitive and will be able to jump right into the vacated spots. Emily Eynon will slide up one position to No. 5, which shouldn’t be a difficult move for her. Right behind Emily, knocking on the proverbial door, will be Anna Minkowski, leaping from the 12th position. She is followed by Courtenay Green, Jen Shingleton, Rebecca Gutner and Lauren Martin to round out the top 10. Also vying for varsity positions are Trang Nguyen, Lauren Chu, Kate Serafini, Helen Smith, Karen Laakmann and Jia Wern Ong. At the very top of the ladder we have some excellent players who are ready to meet all challengers in the coming season. Senior co-captain Liz Kelly will continue to improve on her near perfect match record while she shows her dominance at the No. 4 position. At No. 3, Meredeth Quick, a junior is not only undefeated in dual match play but also has not lost a single game thus far and will try to continue this impressive feat. Right in front of Meredeth is senior co-captain Blair Irwin, who could be one of Princeton's all-time best players, is undefeated in dual match play and is a returning All-America. Julia Beaver controls the No. 1 position and she does it in an awesome way. Last year as a sophomore, she captured her first U.S. Open Junior championship (Under 19) title, just several weeks before she turned 19. Two weeks later, she and the team won their second national team title and two weeks after that she won the U.S.W.I.S.R.A. individual championship. And to top it off she is undefeated in dual match play as she begins her third year at No. 1. All in all, we have a very talented group of athletes who have unlimited potential, and I am looking forward to an exciting season full of challenges and growth.

I would like to invite you to the first parents, friends and alumni dinner of the millenium on February 5, 2000. Enclosed you will find a reservation form that you must complete and return to me. The day will be constructed around the Princeton-Yale men's and women's matches. We will have a joint reception between the matches and a dinner to follow the women's match. Bob Callahan (men's coach) and I are looking forward to seeing you then.

The Jadwin Squash courts are in the third and final stage of completion. We are hoping to have the graphics and finishing touches done by February in time for the grand opening of the facility (the Yale-Princeton match). Bob Callahan and I are planning a Friend’s gathering to celebrate the completion of "C" Floor. I would like to invite everyone to come so put it on your calendar for February 5, 2000. We will be hosting Yale, and we have planned a reception and dinner honoring some of Princeton's squash alumni. Keep an eye out for the invitation; we would love to see you there.

I would like to begin by thanking all of you who contribute to the Friend’s of Princeton Squash because it is an extremely important part of this successful program. During the five years that I have been soliciting funds from you, the donations have grown in both dollar amount and the numbers of donors. I appreciate your support, since it allows me to produce top quality teams year after year. The players also appreciate your support because it makes the whole experience more special when I am able to provide items that are not budgeted for in the program. Your tax deductible Friend’s Group donations are extremely important to our program. I have listed below the expenses that are the responsibility of the Friends Group.

As I mentioned last year our main fund-raising focus right now is to build up our account in preparation for the team’s next trip aboard, which will occur in the fall of 2000. We are entertaining several possibilities but are open for suggestions and help. Some possible destinations are England, France, Spain and Panama. The projected cost of half the trip (the players are responsible for the other half) should not be more than $15,000.00. This money will come out of the Friend’s account. I would like to ask you for some added support again this year in preparation for this trip, which should be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for those who are lucky enough to make the squad (top 12). The team and I really appreciate your generosity, which makes such experiences possible. As well as this annual letter requesting your donations, we undertake several fundraising projects. One team function takes place in September, when the team gives a day of its time to Terhune Orchards to help with Apple Day: this year we earned nearly $1,000 dollars. I also join with the men’s coach Bob Callahan in organizing several squash tournaments at our great Jadwin facility, which also provides some much-needed income for the Friends. We are always looking for new ways to help keep the Friend’s of Princeton Squash account healthy. We welcome any suggestions that you might think would help us do this.

• The Junior Varsity Program ($2200)
• Travel, housing, and food expenses for the Ivy Scrimmage ($3000)
• The Constable Tournament ($1200)
• Special Events (travel expenses for player to World University Games) Nationals, and other similar events ($2000)
• Team trip abroad once every 4 years ($15,000) Some place in the year 2000
• The purchase of special equipment, such as video, fitness equipment, and athletic clothing not provided through our equipment budget ($2500)
• Funding of team events such as season opening dinner, occasional team gatherings ($1500)
• Team end of year banquet, all awards, gifts presented, and subsidizing of meal money allotment ($1500)
• Providing 95% of recruiting expenses ($2000)
• Fall break meal money and intersession meal money ($1200)

Note: Please contact me if you find any error(s)in the above lists. It would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

The Princeton Women’s Squash page is in the process of being updated. We had some technical difficulties this fall but we think we have solved them. The page should be 100% up-to-date very soon. We would love you to visit it from time to time and keep up with the program and things that are happening here at Jadwin. You will find information concerning tournaments, camps, alumni gatherings and more so please visit and stay in touch. Our team homepage address is http://www.princeton.edu/~mwsquash/ . Princeton has just gone on-line with a complete sport home page http://www.goprincetontigers.com/ you will be able to get even more Tiger squash information at this location. Finally, you can call the Sportsline (609-258-3545) to hear the most recent match scores. Check it all out!

All the best,

Gail Ramsay
Head Coach, Women’s Squash
Princeton University

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I will be attending the reception and dinner on February 5 following the conclusion of the Yale match.

I would like to reserve _______seats (number of people attending dinner, do not include team members)

Cost: $40.00 per person over the age of 21

$25.00 per person under 21

Payment must accompany reservation. Amount Enclosed ___________