Second to None

Harvard men's squash Co-Captain David Boyum in one of the best amateur players in the country.

But he might not be the best on the Crimson team.

The Brooklyn, N.Y. native had a stellar freshman season that culminated in his being selected to the All-Ivy and All-American squads and gaining Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors.

But the appearance of Kenton Jernigan--currently the top amateur in the country--on the Harvard squash scene the following year nudged Boyum from the top slow for the much of his remaining three seasons.

Despite Boyum's considerable Harvard successes--he's a four-time All-Ivy and All-American selection--had has often been over-shadowed by Jernigan, a two-time national intercollegiate champion.

Boyum is quite comfortable, however, in his role as one of the top amateurs in the country who just happened to be on the same team with another outstanding player.

"At first I cared what number I played, but later on it was not that important," he says matter-of-factly.

Instead, Boyum has spent the past three years--often at number two-sizzling to victory in his dual matches. He has lost only one dual match in his four seasons, while winning more than 30.

His most impressive victory came last fall, when he bested Clive Caldwell, the number four player on the professional tour.

At the same time, Boyum has provided crucial leadership to the team, which is undefeated in dual match play over the past three years.

Coach David Fish attributes Boyum's imposing record to a combination of discipline and an extraordinary ability to analyze the game.

"David has an incredible accuracy in putting shots where he wants to and a Socratic inquiry that allows him to analyze his game and develop important skills." Fish says.

Next fall, Boyum, head section leader for Quantitative Reasoning this year, plans to co-author a statistics textbook. "It definitely beats a job and most important lets me set my own hours so I can play squash," Boyum says, citing plans to play on the professional squash circuit.

And as his victory over Caldwell indicated, David Boyum--regardless of his Harvard ranking--is a someone to watch out for on the professional squash circuit.