West Reels in COOP Honors

Photo courtesy of Chris Smith.

Colin West of the Harvard men’s squash team is the COOP Athlete of the Week, for the week ending March 7. The senior co-captain capped a 16-1 season by going 5-0 at the College Squash Association Individual Championships, as won the individual national title and took home the Pool Cup.

West won the "A" Division national final against Princeton's Todd Harrity, taking it in three straight games.  West took the first game, 11-9, before claiming game two in overtime, 13-11. He then clinched the national crown with an 11-1 showing in game three.

Harvard has now claimed the Pool Cup 33 times in program history, with Siddharthe Suchde '07 being the most recent recipient in 2007.  West enjoyed an 11-1 record at the top position in dual matches during his senior season and owned a 50-9 overall mark during his four years with the Crimson.  For his effort this weekend, West will also earn his third nod to the All-America team and his fourth selection to the All-Ivy League team.

In addition, West was also named the recipient of the Skillman Award.  The Skillman Award is given annually to a senior men’s squash player who has demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship during his entire college career. This award is named for John Skillman, who coached at Yale University for forty-one years.  West is the fifth Harvard player to win the award since the trophy was first presented in 1984.