Kah Wah Cheong Clinches Deciding Game of 5-4 Epic
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Years of dedication from the members of Yale Men's Squash paid off in spectacular fashion on Sunday as the Bulldogs claimed the national championship with a 5-4 win over Rochester in front of a capacity crowd at the Brady Squash Center.
Rochester and Yale treated spectators to an unforgettable contest between two of the country's top teams. As in their first meeting this season, it all came down to the matchup at No. 4 between Tomotaka Endo of Rochester and Yale junior Kah Wah Cheong. While Endo had eked by Cheong in that encounter, it was Cheong who earned the victory this time, and with it the national title — Yale's first since 1990.
The atmosphere at the Brady Squash Center was electric from the first points through the dramatic finale, as students, alumni, and parents turned out to support the Bulldogs.
It would be Rochester who drew first blood, as Yale captain Sam Fenwick fell to Neil Cordell at No. 3.
The contest between Rochester's Aria Fazelimanesh and Yale sophomore Max Martin at No. 6 set the tone for the day with a nail-biting contest that bristled with emotional intensity through the final point. Playing on the glass-encased third court before a boisterous contingent of Yale students, Martin charged hard in the second and third games to take a 2-1 lead after dropping the first game. The fiery performance of the New Haven native brought the crowd to its feet, which seemed to energize Martin even more in turn. Martin continued his surge in the fourth game to earn a hard-fought win, sending the assembled Yale students into a frenzy.
Moments after that exciting conclusion, sophomore Arjun Kochhar picked up a win for the Elis at No. 9 with a 12-10 victory in the third game to give Yale a 2-1 edge after the opening salvo.
The Bulldogs looked to extend this margin in the second wave of matches. After splitting the first two games with his opponent, junior Liam McClintock did just that at No. 8, winning in four to put Yale up two.
Playing at No. 2, junior TJ Dembinski dropped a 15-13 battle in the opening game. Although Dembinksi bounced back in the next game, Rochester's Ryosei Kobayashi would eventually earn the 3-1 result, cutting Yale's lead back down to one.
Sophomore Thomas Kingshott notched a crucial win in a five-game contest with Lawrence Kuhn of Rochester. After a tough 12-10 loss in the opener, Kingshott struck back with consecutive 11-8 victories. Kuhn refused to go away, forcing a fifth game and relentlessly pursuing Kingshott well into that decisive frame. In a match that featured excellent play on both sides, the outcome tipped in Yale's favor as an ecstatic Kingshott pulled off an 11-9 win to put the Bulldogs one match away from the championship.
Rochester had worked hard to get to the final — narrowly defeating Trinity on Saturday — and soon made matters more complicated against the team they had beaten a little over a month before. Sophomore Pierson Broadwater lost in three at No. 7, while the best efforts of senior Zac Leman could not stave off a defeat in the top spot.
With these matches concluded, it fell once again to Cheong and Endo to determine the ultimate result. By this point, the entire crowd had crammed around the third court, and vocal support could be heard from both sides on nearly every point — though Yale's home-court advantage was clearly in evidence.
The high-stakes showdown delivered on every count, as both players raised their games to a spectacular level in pursuit of victory. It was Cheong who took the lead first with an 11-9 win on the strength of some crisp shotmaking. Endo answered in the second by the same margin with a few brilliant volleys of his own, evening the match with little visible separation between the players.
A pivotal third frame saw an early lead from Cheong turn into a 10-7 hole thanks to a rally from Endo. Facing the prospect of going down a game, Cheong ripped off four straight points to take an 11-10 lead. The players flew across the court swapping scores, but it was Cheong that emerged with the 15-13 victory.
The fourth game saw Cheong gradually build an edge over Endo, who hung right with him throughout. With the game sitting at 10-8 in Yale's favor, Cheong overcame the desperate defense of Endo, smashing one last shot beyond his reach to win the match and with it, the national championship.
Cheong simply raised his racket in celebration before shaking hands with Endo. Less restrained, his teammates stormed the court and engulfed the winner in a swarm of blue Yale shirts. A jubilant crowd cheered them on, with many pulling out cell phones to capture a piece of the moment.
At the trophy presentation, Talbott spoke of the long buildup to the day's success, crediting the support of fans, administration, and above all the dedication of his players in making the victory possible. Talbott also singled out Yale's four seniors — Fenwick, Leman, Peter Dewire, and Pehlaaj Bajwa — for recognition.
Fenwick, for his part, said the championship truly belonged to all sixteen members of the Yale squad. This would soon be the case — the trophy quickly made its way through the hands of the assembled players as the celebration continued.
Report by Evan Brown '16, Yale Sports Publicity
Video
Championship Point and Celebration
Interview with Kah Wah Cheong
Interview with Coach Dave Talbott
Results
1. Yanez (R) def. Leman (Y) 11-6, 11-7, 11-5
2. Kobayashi (R) def. Dembinski (Y) 5-13, 6-11, 11-0, 11-4
3. Cordell (R) def. Fenwick (Y) 11-4, 11-7, 11-5
4. Cheong (Y) def. Endo (R) 11-9, 9-11, 15-13, 11-8
5. Kingshott (Y) def. Kuhn (R) 10-12, 11-8, 11-8, 8-11, 11-9
6. Martin (Y) def. Fazelimanesh (R) 8-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-7
7. Bertocchi (R) def. Broadwater (Y) 13-11, 11-7, 11-9
8. McClintock (Y) def. Pitfield (R) 11-9, 3-11, 11-5, 11-4
9. Kochhar (Y) def. Meng (R) 11-3, 11-8, 12-10
