KUCHING: Former national juniors Wong Kim Lee, Jo-ann Jee and June Tiong from Sarawak were impressive throughout the recently concluded US College Squash Association (CSA) National Collegiate Squash Championships.

The trio representing Malaysia in the two-week championship concluded the 2007-08 season on a high note as well as putting the country in the limelight, said Squash Racquet Association of Malaysia (SRAM) Sarawak in a press release yesterday.

Kim Lee joined Princeton University in 2006 and started his 2007-08 squash season with the Princeton Tigers as the second-ranked player on the squad.

Prior to the season-ending CSA Championships, Kim Lee, who is currently a junior, had an impressive 9-1 record during the regular season, only dropping three sets in total.

His strong performances helped to carry Princeton Tigers all the way to the final of the CSA Team Championships.

Furthermore, Kim Lee received the All-American first team honour for the second time after his impressive performance in the CSA Individual Championships, losing to the eventual winner in the semi-final.

However, he returned the following week to capture the CSA Men’s Doubles Championships with his teammate David Letourneau.

Meanwhile, Jo-ann, a former student of SMK St Teresa, Kuching, reached the highlight of her squash career when she represented Malaysia in the World Junior Championships 2003 in Egypt.

Then in 2006, she received a last-minute offer to join Trinity College, a top-ranked squash university in the United States, complete with scholarship.

Jo-ann, a sophomore at Trinity, started her 2007-08 squash season as the third-ranked player on the Trinity Bantams squad after a successful 2006-07 season that saw her being awarded the All-American second team honour.

She ended her regular 2007-08 season with an 8-1 record. Apart from that, she was terrific during the season ending New England Small College Athletic Conference (Nescac) and CSA Championships where she assisted the Trinity Bantams to the Nescac championship title and a fourth-place finish at the CSA Championships.

Her outstanding performances were rewarded with numerous awards including CSA All-American second team, Nescac Sportsmanship Award and Trinity Faculty Honour Award.

This year, June, another outstanding player from Kuching, will be joining Jo-ann and Kim Lee in the US.

Armed with her excellent academic achievements (11As in SPM and 4As in STPM) and outstanding squash career in the international junior circuits, June was the No. 1 recruit for Harvard University women squash team in 2007.

“Needless to say, she made us proud when she was accepted to Harvard University with a full scholarship,” the statement said.

“She burst onto the United States intercollegiate squash circuit and lived up to her expectation by playing at the No. 1 position all season for the Harvard Crimson with a 6-6 regular season record,” it added.

June stepped up her game by reaching the semi-final in the CSA Individual Championships.

She finished her 2007-08 season with a ranking of No. 4 in the women’s draw, the highest-ranked freshman.

Her exceptional performance this year garnered her top honours including Ivy League Rookie of the Year, All-Ivy First Team and CSA All-American First Team awards.

SRAM Sarawak will be sending more top junior players to top universities in the US.

Parents interested in sending their children for SRAM Sarawak’s junior development programmes in Kuching, Sibu, Miri and Bintulu are advised to contact 016-8635432.