WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Senior Gustav Runersjö and sophomores Jordan Brail and Andrew Stone won their respective matches in three sets, and the 12th-ranked men's squash team started its season with 8-1 victories over #17 Middlebury and #15 Williams on Saturday at Simon Squash Center.
 
Cornell swept the final two rotations of both matches in the Williams Round Robin against both challengers in the College Squash Association's B Division ranks to win comfortably. Runersjö was competing from the No.5 position, Brail was at the No. 4 spot, and Stone was at No. 9.
 
In the morning match against Middlebury, after Stone and freshman Ben Francis (No. 6) gave the Big Red a 2-1 lead, senior co-captain Runersjö pushed the lead forward. Junior Augie Jones won in four sets from the No. 8 position, and junior Kevin Flannery clinched the match by winning in five sets at No. 2.
 
Later against the host Ephs, Stone and freshman Perry Hanson (No. 3) staked the Big Red to an identical 2-1 lead. The middle rotation swept all three matches this time around before Brail and senior Graham Dietz (No. 7) followed suit. Junior Harry Freeman, competing from the No. 1 position for the first time in his career, wrapped up a two-win day by rallying from two sets down to win in five to cap the outing.
 
Cornell will remain idle for the rest of the semester and holiday break before a three-match road trip Jan. 9-11 to Yale, Brown and Trinity.
 
#12 CORNELL 8, #17 MIDDLEBURY 1
Saturday's results; at Simon Squash Center; Williamstown, Mass.
1. Harry Freeman (C) def. Andrew Jung, 11-8, 8-11, 13-11, 11-3
2. Kevin Flannery (C) def. David Cromwell, 9-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-13, 11-3
3. Wyatt French (M) def. Perry Hanson, 8-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-9
4. Jordan Brail (C) def. Harrison Croll, 11-7, 11-5, 11-6
5. Gustav Runersjö (C) def. Andrew Cadienhead, 11-8, 11-9, 12-10
6. Ben Francis (C) def. Henry Pearson, 11-6, 11-7, 11-9
7. Graham Dietz (C) def. William Kurth, 6-11, 11-2, 11-2, 11-5
8. Augie Jones (C) def. Benjamin Krant, 11-8, 11-8, 7-11, 11-4
9. Andrew Stone (C) def. Samuel Giddins, 11-1, 11-7, 11-4
Ex. Liad Hare (C) def. Robert Rohrbach, 12-10, 11-4, 11-5
 
#12 CORNELL 8, #15 WILLIAMS 1
Saturday's results; at Simon Squash Center; at Williamstown, Mass.
1. Harry Freeman (C) def. Jamie Ruggiero, 8-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-8
2. Kevin Flannery (C) def. John Shuck, 11-5, 11-5, 11-9
3. Perry Hanson (C) def. John Fitzgerald, 11-4, 11-6, 11-9
4. Jordan Brail (C) def. David Pincus, 12-10, 11-7, 11-9
5. Gustav Runersjö (C) def. Michael Petrick, 11-4, 11-6, 11-7
6. Galen Squires (W) def. Ben Francis, 11-7, 15-13, 7-11, 11-5
7. Graham Dietz (C) def. Jamie Havran, 11-6, 12-10, 11-2
8. Augie Jones (C) def. Will Ruggiero, 11-9, 11-6, 11-2
9. Andrew Stone (C) def. Mason Elizondo, 11-4, 13-11, 11-6
Ex. Liad Hare (C) def. Varun Sharma, 11-7, 7-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8