PHILADELPHIA – Both Aditya Kankariya (Molloy North) and Justin Ghaeli (Molloy East) collected consolation bracket titles to headline a strong performance and showing by Columbia Men's Squash at the College Squash Association Individual National Championships, hosted by Penn and held at the Penn Squash Center.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: In the Pool (Men's National Championship) bracket, Columbia's lone contender for a national championship was James Wyatt, and he began the weekend with a three-set loss to Miko Aijanen (Trinity), 11-5, 11-9, 11-8, to fall into the consolation bracket.  Wyatt would advance to the consolation bracket semifinals thanks to a medical forfeit in the consolation quarterfinals, but in a five-set marathon, Wyatt would fall short, losing, 11-9, 11-4, 5-11, 6-11, 11-9, to Veer Chotrani (Cornell) to end his tournament.
 
Kankariya opened his weekend with a four-set loss to Dylan Kachur (Drexel), 9-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-8, to fall into the Molloy North consolation bracket.  A medical default moved Kankariya into the consolation semifinals, where he would bounce back from a first-set loss to take a four-set victory, 6-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-8, over Wyatt Khosrowshahi (Williams) to move into the consolation finals.  In the finals, Kankariya faced Deven Kanwal (Bowdoin) and much like his semifinals match, Kankariya dropped his opening set, before storming back to take the next three sets winning, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-8, to finish on top of the Molloy North consolation bracket.
 
As for Ghaeli, his path to the Molloy East consolation championship started with a four-set loss, 6-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-5, to Marcus Sim Wei Jie (Rochester) which bounced him into the consolation bracket.  A medical forfeit pushed Ghaeli into the consolation semifinals where he faced Gautam Nagpal (Drexel) in a five-set battle, that thanks to wins in the final two sets would go Ghaeli's way, 6-11, 11-8, 10-12, 11-4, 11-9, as he advanced to the consolation finals.  In the consolation finals match, Ghaeli rode the momentum he collected in the semis, cruising past Jacob Bassil (Williams) in three sets, 11-1, 11-3, 11-7, to lock up the Molloy East consolation title.
 
CSA INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Penn Squash Center)
 
POOL (Men's National Championship)
Main Draw: James Wyatt – (R16) L, 5-11, 9-11, 8-11 vs. Miko Aijanen (Trinity)
Consolation: Wyatt – (Q) W, Med. Forfeit vs. Ashley Davies (Rochester); (S) L, 9-11, 4-11, 11-5, 11-6, 9-11 vs. Veer Chotrani (Cornell)
 
MOLLOY NORTH
Main Draw: Aditya Kankariya – (R16) L, 11-9, 3-11, 6-11, 8-11 vs. Dylan Kachur (Drexel)
Consolation: Kankariya – (Q) W, Med. Forfeit vs. Calvin McCafferty (Yale); (S) W, 6-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-8 vs. Wyatt Khosrowshahi (Williams); (F) W, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-8 vs. Deven Kanwal (Bowdoin)
 
MOLLOY EAST
Main Draw: Justin Ghaeli – (R16) L, 11-6, 4-11, 9-11, 5-11 vs. Marcus Sim Wei Jie (Rochester)
Consolation: Ghaeli – (Q) W, Med. Forfeit vs. Aman Sanger (MIT); (S) W, 6-11, 11-8, 10-12, 11-4, 11-9 vs. Gautam Nagpal (Drexel); (F) W, 11-1, 11-3, 11-7 vs. Jacob Bassil (Williams)
 
MOLLOY WEST
Main Draw: Krish Kapur – (R16) W, 11-13, 11-3, 11-8, 5-11, 11-7 vs. Henry Martin (MIT); (Q) L, 5-11, 5-11, 5-11 vs. Inwoo Lee (St. Lawrence)
 
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