JACK AND SQUASH Hundred elite titles say it all

By Steve Coad, London Free Press

One hundred and counting.

That’s how many elite — Ontario, Canadian and U.S. Open plus Ontario and U.S. intercollegiate — men’s team and individual squash championships Jack Fairs-coached Western Mustang athletes have won since the kindly coach took the reins of the program in 1962-63 and turned it into a juggernaut.

Indeed, Western has won 29 straight Ontario university titles, and another deep team this year has its eye firmly on No. 30 in early February in Hamilton.

But Western’s squashers have been heralded for their success well beyond Ontario’s borders and the university level as well. Since the late 1960s, Fairs and his teams have competed against the top teams in U.S. university squash — Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Cornell among others — as well as in many of the top events in North America.

One hundred titles speaks volumes for the program and, of course, the man at the helm.

A chipper 89 years old, Fairs is seldom seen without a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes.

And clearly, his squash program’s run of success is a tremendous source of pride.

“Oh my goodness, yes,” he said recently, a response that reflects Fairs’ humility but also was delivered with the passion that says he knows the feat is huge.

Just how huge?

Well, when I asked if he knew of any similar runs of success in sport, any sport at any level, Fairs suggested perhaps the University of Toronto in swimming, although he had no idea of the numbers.

A quick Google search finds Fairs was on the right track.

The Varsity Blues men’s swim team has won 62 conference champions over the years, including 32 in a row on a run that lasted from the 1960s into the ’90s, and 15 national university championships.

“Wow, very impressive. That’s something,” Fairs said.

More digging discovers that the New York Yankees, the team Fairs served as a part-time scout for during the 1950s, have won 27 World Series championships and 40 American League pennants.

Also, the UCLA Bruins captured 10 of 12 NCAA men’s basketball championships between 1964 and ’75 (including seven in a row starting in 1967) under legendary coach John Wooden.

So, there, you have some perspective on just how fabulously the Mustangs have faired over the long haul.

“Hang around long enough and this is what happens,” Fairs jokes.

Of their run in Ontario, he says, “The players take it seriously because they don’t want to be team that sees it end.”

If the streak ends, it will not be under Fairs’ watch.

While he continues to be deeply involved with the program — handling the administration and doing vital recruiting — Fairs last season, turned over the on-court coaching to David Morrish, who doubles as the pro at London Squash Racquets Club.

Asked what he considers the squash program’s greatest achievements, he begins with “Oh gosh,” but doesn’t hesitate for long.

Individually, Fairs points to Phil Mohtadi, as a 19-year-old freshmen at Western in 1976, winning the Canadian Open singles championship in Toronto against the top players from Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. He was the youngest player to that point ever to win the crown but went on to stamp his worthiness on the achievement by repeating it in 1977 and 1980.

Mohtadi, now a Toronto lawyer, also won the U.S. intercollegiate singles title in ’76, capping a brilliant year.

Twelve years later, another 19-year-old first-year Mustang, Scott Dulmage, won the U.S. Open singles crown in Denver. Again, he was the youngest player to capture that crown.

When the talk turns to teams, Fairs says “1979-80 is hard to beat for achievement.”

That season, the Mustangs and individual team members — John Lennard, captain, Murray Shaw, a former Canadian junior champion, Gajender Singh, Fred Reid, Dennis Hisey and Dave — won the NCAA team title, the Ontario university team title, the Ontario Open team championship, plus singles titles at the Canadian and Ontario opens.

steve.coad@sunmedia.ca