U.S. SQUASH Hosts Hall of
Fame Gala
Four new inductees honored
at New York City Gala
Jahangir Khan and Morris
Clothier also honored at 1st annual fundraising celebration
New
York, NY – October 6th, 2008
- U.S. SQUASH inducted four
new Hall of Fame members at the 2008 U.S. SQUASH Hall of Fame Gala this past
Saturday, October 4th, at the Pierre Hotel in New York City. The
U.S. SQUASH Hall of Fame was created in 1999 to honor the best players and
most successful coaches and leaders in the game of squash.
The 2007
inductees were husband and wife Carol Hunter Weymuller, introduced by Class
of 2000 Hall of Fame member Alicia McConnell, and Fred Weymuller, introduced
by Will Carlin. The class of 2008 inductees were Kenton Jernigan, introduced
by Bill Doyle, and the late Al Molloy, Jr. introduced by Palmer Page and Ned
Edwards (Class of 2003), with the honor being accepted by Howard Coonley. The
Master of Ceremonies for the evening was Peter S. Briggs, Hall of Fame Class
of 2005.
Kevin
Klipstein, U.S. SQUASH CEO, presented Jahangir Khan with the 2008 W. Stewart
Brauns, Jr. Award for his dedication, leadership and contributions to the
game. For the past seven years, as President of the World Squash Federation,
Khan has traveled extensively in an effort to lobby the International Olympic
Committee to include squash in the Games. Khan spoke with optimism about the
possible inclusion of squash in 2016. Squash has already been added to the
short list of sports being considered.
Morris
Clothier, a three time All America at Franklin and Marshall and considered
to be the top “amateur” doubles player in the game, earning 10 National
Doubles titles, received the 2008 President’s Cup from U.S. SQUASH’s Board
Chair Jeannie Blasberg. The President’s Cup is U.S. SQUASH’s highest service
honor and Clothier’s was recognized for his contributions to the game as a
board member of the International Squash Doubles Association, his service as
Chair of Doubles Committee since 2006, and his leadership in the recent surge
in doubles activity, from the U.S. Father-Son Championships he co-founded in
2005 with Simon Aldrich, to the increase in tournament and league activity in
the U.S.
The over 300
gathered squash enthusiasts were also treated to a preview of the documentary
“Hashim Khan: A Squash Champion’s Story”. The project, directed by Josh
Easdon and produced by Beth Rasin, is expected to premiere on January 22,
2009. More information on the project is available at www.squashfilms.com.
The Gala
Committee Chair Peter Lasusa indicated that the event raised nearly $100,000
in support of U.S. SQUASH and the national teams as the Association pursues
its goal of four gold medals in the 2011 Pan American Games. Also serving on
the Committee were David Barrett, Lee Belknap, Jeannie Blasberg, Richard
Chin, Morris Clothier, J.D. Cregan, Jr., Julian Illingworth, Natalie
Grainger, Meredeth Quick, Jeff Stanley, James Zug, and on the Junior
Committee were Michael Ferreira, Dylan Patterson, Taylor Robinson , Bernardo
Samper, Jonny Smith, Noah Wimmer .
About U.S. SQUASH
U.S. SQUASH is the
national governing body and membership organization for the sport of squash
in the United States and is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization. US Squash
is a member of the United States Olympic Committee. U.S. SQUASH owns and
licenses tournaments including the U.S. Open, as well as all other U.S.
Championships. The Association also selects and supports the U.S. Teams that
compete internationally, maintains the official ratings and rankings system
for the U.S. and invests in programs to grow participation in the sport at
every level.
