MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2011
PAGE 21 THE SPOKE
SPORTS
Senior earns spot in cricket World Cup Qualifier
Tracy Cook Staff Reporter Senior Kalim Ahmed filled in the last bubble on his physics exam just hours before he hopped on a plane bound for Florida. While most Conestoga students spent the long weekend after midterms relaxing, Ahmed was trying out for the U.S. U-19 national cricket team. His hard work paid off, and less than a week later, Ahmed was notified that he had been selected to represent the United States in the 2011 ICC America’s Cup, an international cricket tournament. The rules of cricket are fairly simple. Two batters from the same team bat at once and the opposing bowler has to get them out by knocking over three stumps behind the batter. When the batter hits the ball, he and the other batter run back and forth until the ball is fielded. One out is allotted per batter and there are ten batters per team. Points are tallied as runs and the goal is to score more than the other team. Ahmed, who is a specialty pace bowler, first began to play cricket in his homeland of England when he was four years old. “It was more because my dad played cricket,” Ahmed said. “He got me involved in the game.” When his family moved to America in 2001, Ahmed was disappointed to realize that cricket was significantly less popular in
the U.S. than it was in England. He continued to compete in regional tournaments, playing teams from all over the country. There, Ahmed’s talent earned him recognition from various scouts, and he was invited to try out for the U-19 national team. Before long, he was on the field in Florida
along with 29 other competitors, all vying for only 14 spots. “There were four returning players, so they were looking for ten guys,” Ahmed said. “Basically, they wanted half the team to be specialist batters and the other half to be bowlers.”
Photo courtesy Kalim Ahmed
Senior Kalim Ahmed (far left) stands with the U.S. U-19 National Cricket team. The team earned a spot at the World Cup Qualifier, which will be played in Ireland in July.
Three days later, the results were posted, and Ahmed made the cut. The U-19 team competed in the ICC America’s Cup in Florida against five teams: Argentina, Canada, Bermuda, the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands. After a win against Bermuda on Feb. 11, Ahmed’s team earned a spot at the World Cup Qualifier in Ireland, which will take place in July. Four teams will advance from there to the U-19 Cricket World Cup, hosted by Argentina in 2012. Ahmed is excited by the opportunity to participate in the World Cup Qualifier and is looking forward playing cricket in college. “I’m planning on going to Rutgers University and playing for their team,” Ahmed said. “It’s a club team, but they play against other colleges like Princeton and Penn, and they have a college cricket tournament in Florida in March every year.” Ahmed will continue playing for his club team at the British Officer’s Cricket Club of Philadelphia, but hopes that the success of the national team will help cricket evolve into a more popular sport within the U.S. “Qualifying for the World Cup would be great for the country,” Ahmed said. “I hope that we succeed to the next level, and get U.S. cricket on the map.” Tracy Cook can be reached at tcook@stoganews.com.
Students look foward to nationals, futures in squash
Brittany Roker Staff Reporter
Walking into the Berwyn Squash and Fitness Center, the girls’ squash team was ready for another fun-filled and intense practice, but without the availability of a
court, they had to resort to another method for exercise: Latin dancing. “There are a lot of drills that we do that require some imagination,” Coach Cecily Englander said. “When we do get together and there are no courts available to us, then
we also have to find ways of getting fit.” experiencing that higher level of competiThe excitement of squash is what made tion at the national squash championships, junior co-captain Justine Shank want to which took place at Yale University this play in college. year. “Besides the sport itself, Players from Conestoga which I just think is fun, it’s competed with over 100 a very social fit,” Shank said. schools from across the coun“I love the sport the most, but try. At press time, ’Stoga’s A then you go down to Berwyn team was 1-2 and the B team Squash and you know every- Conestoga players was 2-1. Since the champione behind the desk. It’s such a competing at 2011 onships began in 2005, the fun environment.” number of entered teams has Nationals Although squash is a club steadily increased as squash sport at Conestoga, it has been grows in popularity across the growing in popularity and many country. Englander believes students on the team plan on that there are many factors that playing in college. Senior cocontributed to the popularity. captain Mike Dolente, who be“It’s exciting to play a gan playing squash four years sport that is really intense but ago, enjoys the intensity of the also a lot of fun,” junior PeStudents in sport and wants to continue. ter Guo said. “The dedication the Conestoga Although Dolente plans on taksquash program and time that all of the athletes ing a gap year, he wants to play on the squash team put in to squash in college as well. play squash is about the same “It is something that I am really good at. amount that all of the other people that play It just came naturally to me,” Dolente said. winter sports and Conestoga is very lucky “I keep learning more and more about it and to have a club to play.” everything I learn, I love.” Each year, the players who dream of Brittany Roker can be reached at playing at a college level look forward to broker@stoganews.com.
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Luke Rafferty/The SPOKE
Sophomore Josh Sutker (left) and freshman Will Klinger play a friendly round of squash at the Berwyn Squash Club, where the Conestoga team practices each week.