Squash University Jackson Bragman & Gilly Lane

Last month, at the Arlen Specter Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Cornell University’s Veer Chotrani took down Trinity College’s Mohamed Sharaf in a 4 game battle to claim the 2024 CSA National Collegiate Individual Championship, but that title was far from Veer’s first major accomplishment in college squash. The 4 time All American, Ivy League Player of the Year, and Skillman Award winner joined Jackson and Gilly on Squash University this week. 
Veer recapped his incredible run to the Individual title last month, wrapping up an undefeated season for the Big Red, before talking about training with Cornell head coach and former World #1 David Palmer last summer. Finally, Gilly finished things off with a barrage of rapid fire questions. 
Huge thanks to Veer for taking the time this week and for his positive contributions to college squash with his play and his impeccable sportsmanship over the last 5 years. Enjoy! 


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Mike MacDonald took the position of Head Coach of the Denison University men's and women's squash programs on short notice in the fall of 2022, but as an alumni of the Big Red  himself, it was a job he couldn't pass up. Having just concluded his second year as head coach and in Denison's third season as a varsity program, Coach MacDonald is ready to take his programs to new heights. 

Among Coach Mike's biggest accomplishments in his coaching career, thus far, was successfully recruiting renowned 2 time Deroy Silver Junior Champion Jackson Bragman to headline his first recruiting class for the Big Red. After months of begging and pleading, Coach Mike has finally agreed to join Jackson and Gilly on Squash University for an exclusive interview. 

Coach Mike discusses his time playing for Denison as a club program before getting into his early days in coaching, ultimately leading him to accept the head coaching position at Connecticut College, where he held the position for 5 years before coming back to Granville Ohio to take charge of the storied program at Denison. Jackson and Gilly also ask the 2009 Denison grad about how he plans on taking Big Red squash to the next level, his laid back approach to coaching, and what he learned from selling knives during the summer of 2007. 

It was awesome to have a class act and a total character in Coach Mike MacDonald on the show this week and we look forward to doing it again soon. Huge thanks to him for making some time for us. Enjoy! 
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The University of Pennsylvania Quakers are your 2024 CSA Men's National Champions! After an amazing season full of talking about teams across college squash, this episode is all about our guy Gilly and his boys hoisting the Potter Cup for the first time in school history. And what better way to do it than live, in person, at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center in the heart of Philadelphia, PA, the site of Penn's National Championship win less than a week prior. 

Gilly tells Jackson how it feels to finally win a National Championship for the school he played for almost 2 decades ago and what it means for the Penn Squash program before the gents welcome on Penn team captain Roger Alber Baddour to recount the team's trials and tribulations throughout the year and how they were able to avenge their 2 regular season losses, to Princeton and Trinity, in the National semifinals and finals. 

It was so cool to record live from the Specter Center during last week's CSA Individual Championships. Huge congrats to our brand new CSA Women's Individual National Champion, Harvard's Saran Nghiem and the men's champion, Trinity's Mohamed Sharaf. 

Huge thanks to Roger for joining us and congrats for helping lead his team to its first ever National Championship. Enjoy! 
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The College Squash Show finally has its own feed and a brand new name. Squash University is in session! 

As a player, Gilly Lane was a 4 time All-American, and Skillman award winner for the University of Pennsylvania before he went on to become one of the greatest American squash players of all time.

As a coach, he’s led his alma mater to a Sloane Team Sportsmanship Award, 2 Ivy League Championships, and last season, the first ever National Championship in Penn squash history.

As a player, Jackson Bragman won Liberty League Rookie of the week this season for Denison University! (He will not be a 4 time All-American).

As a broadcaster, he’s interviewed a countless number of the world’s finest squash players, coaches, and even referees.

Together, they host the world’s number 1 (and, for now, the world’s only) college squash focused podcast: Squash University.

On Squash U, Gilly and Jackson discuss the biggest headlines and results from across college squash, and provide interviews with some of college squash’s biggest names.

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The CSA National Team Championships are in the books and the women of Trinity College, and Gilly's men of the University of Pennsylvania each hoisted their respective trophies this Sunday at the home of this years competition, the Arlen Specter Center. Gilly and Jackson will breakdown the exciting National Championship weekend next week live in person when the gents are back at Specter for the Individual National Championship competition, but in the meantime, congrats to Gilly and his boys, as well as Wendy Bartlett and the Trinity women on amazing seasons.

This week's show features 2 amazing interviews conducted last week that we haven't been able to upload until now, but still think are enthralling and wanted to share with all of you.

First, the guys were joined by CSA All-American and University of Rochester #1, from India, Yash Fadte. Yash joined us days after his team won the Hoehn Cup, the second division in men’s college squash, to finish 13th in the country. Yash was fantastic and extremely candid about the roller-coaster of a season he's had with U of R this season, which ultimately ended on a high note and Hoehn Cup victory.

Next was Columbia head men's and women's coach Chris Sachvie. Gilly and Chris reminisced about their first ever match, Gilly a senior for Penn at the time, playing Chris, a freshman at Cornell, and the, perhaps overly lively home crowd in attendance in Philly. Chris also spoke about his men’s and women’s teams, their seasons thus far, and preparing for the Nationals competition last weekend.

Fun episode this week. Huge thanks to Yash and Chris and, once again, huge congrats to Trinity and Penn, our brand new CSA National Champions. Enjoy!
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Franklin & Marshall just wrapped up an intense weekend at the CSA Divisional Team Championships, which saw 5 out of the 6 matches for the Diplomats men’s and women’s teams end in 5-4 results. Meanwhile F&M head coach Gavin Jones has just concluded his 13th season in Lancaster, PA, making him one of the longer tenured head coaches in the CSA.

Jones joins The College Squash Show this week to provide a recap of last weekend’s Divisional Championships, discuss the F&M women’s team being promoted to Division 1 status next season, his thoughts on player conduct in CSA over the years, what qualities he looks for in potential team recruits, and the legendary story of his 2013 men’s team beating Saint Lawrence in the first round of the National Championships.
 
Coach Gavin is a class act. Huge thanks to him for joining us and we can’t wait to have him back on the show. Enjoy! 
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