FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BATES' SHAH NAMED WOMEN'S SQUASH ALL-AMERICAN

LEWISTON, Maine — Bates College senior squash player Aisha Shah of Bombay, India, has been selected as a second-team All-American by the Women's Intercollegiate Squash Association (WISA).

Shah, a co-captain who has played more matches at the No. 1 spot as any other player in Bates women's squash history, was named an All-American for the second time in her career. She was the first Bobcat ever to earn squash All-America honors when she was named WISA's honorable mention team in 2001.

"Aisha is far and away the best squash player Bates has seen," head coach John Illig said. "She has had a tremendous career here. This award is especially meaningful because it shows that she continued to improve, even after last year's success."

Shah finished 2002 ranked 17th in the nation with a 16-8 record, posting the second-highest win total on the team. Shah went 1-2 at the WISA Individual Championships at Princeton Univ. March 1-3, falling twice to players from Harvard and Yale, the No. 2 and No. 3 teams in the nation, respectively. She defeated an opponent from No. 8 Cornell. Shah boasts a 57-40 record in her career.

Behind Shah's individual success this season, Bates finished with a 15-6 record. The Bobcats earned a top-10 ranking at the end of the season for the first time ever, peaking at No. 9 after a 5-4 win over the University of Pennsylvania. It was Bates' first win over an Ivy League opponent in six years. The Bobcats finished second in the 'B' flight of the Howe Cup team championships, defeating in-state foes Bowdoin, 8-1, and St. Lawrence University, 5-4, before falling to Penn in a rematch. Bates finished third among NESCAC schools, behind top-ranked Trinity and No. 6 Williams.

For more information on Bates women's squash, please visit our web site at http://www.bates.edu/sports/wsquash.html.