GW Women's Squash Welcomes Five for 2016-17
7/21/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Squash
@GWSquash
WASHINGTON - Five student-athletes are slated to join the George Washington women's squash team for the 2016-17 season, head coach Wendy Lawrence has announced.
The class features one international student-athlete in Engy El Mandouh (Cairo, Egypt), along with Emma Tryon (Hartford, Conn.) from New England and a trio of freshman from the Mid-Atlantic - Samira Baird (Philadelphia, Pa.), Elle Carroll (New York, N.Y.) and Isobel Brinkworth (Buffalo N.Y.).
The quintet joins a roster of seven returning letterwinners that is coming off of a 10-8 season and a victory in the Kurtz Cup (B-Division) Consolation Finals at last season's College Squash Association (CSA) National Championship.
CSA Second Team All-American Breanne Flynn, who went 14-4 in her junior season, is GW's top returning player. Last season she joined four-time All-American Anna Gabriela Porras as the only players in program history to earn the distinction.
Samira Baird
Fr.
Philadelphia, PA/Springside Chestnut Hill Academy
High School/Club: Three-time All Inter-Academic League and All-MASA selection at Chestnut Hill Academy under head coach Rich Sheppard … also competed at Philadelphia Squash Club coaches Doug Whitaker and Adam Hamill … served as captain as a senior, helping SCH Academy to a ninth place finish at high school nationals in both her junior and senior seasons … named Most Valuable Player as a junior after placing third at Silver Nationals … won 2013 U.S. Junior Doubles Under 15 Squash Championship in April 2013.
Coach Lawrence on Baird: "Samira is another in a long line of strong Philadelphia players to come to GW. She has a lot of tournament appearance after playing at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy and is a dedicated player and hard worker who will fit in very well into the top-nine this fall."
Isobel Brinkworth
Fr.
Buffalo, NY/Nichols School
High School/Club: Two-time Most Valuable Player of Nichols School as a junior and senior … helped team to first-place finish in Western New York High School Squash League … earned academic honors as a junior and senior.
Coach Lawrence on Brinkworth: "I am delighted to have Isobel join our team this year. Her older brother, Larkin, was a starter on our men's team a few years ago and that is when I first met her. She is not only a talented squash player, but an outstanding soccer player as well, which means she is the kind of athlete that I look for. She is the top player in the Buffalo area and will continue to grow at GW."
Elle Carroll
Fr.
New York, NY/Taft School
High School/Club: Served as team captain as a senior at The Taft School under head coach Jennifer Chandler … Recipient of The 1986 Girls' Squash Award … helped team to 2016 United States Division II National Championship.
Coach Lawrence on Carroll: "Elle is a very solid player who played for The Taft Schools, one of the top programs in the United States. She will likely slot into the lower third of the ladder on our team this fall."
Engy El Mandouh
Fr.
Cairo, Egypt/Choate Rosemary Hall
High School/Club: Two-time recipient of Excellence Award at Choate Rosemary Hall (2015, 2016) … finished in third place as a junior and fourth place as a senior at the New England Interscholastic Squash Association Championships.
Coach Lawrence on El Mandouh: "I am so thrilled to welcome Engy to our team this fall as she was one of the top players coming out of high school in the country. She is from Cairo, Egypt, but played scholastically at Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut where she played No. 1 and earned a top-15 national ranking. We expect her to play in the top-two of the ladder right off the bat."
Emma Tryon
Fr.
Hartford, CT/Suffield Academy
High School/Club: Advanced to championship match of NEISA Class B Individual Championships to finish … No. 90 in U.S. Squash Adult Women 4.5 Rankings.
Coach Lawrence on Tryon: "Emma may be the best athlete in this year's class. She is an aggressive player who fights hard for ever point and has a determination that is special. She has excelled as the No. 1 player at Suffield Academy while training in her hometown of Hartford, Connecticut. I have no doubt that she will be a top-six player this fall."
Players Mentioned
