At an elementary school in Santa Barbara, there were two kids who competed for the honor as the best athlete in the school. They only knew each other as Doug and Frank.

Thirteen years later, Doug Lifford and Frank Huerta are now competing together as co-captains and members of the Harvard men's squash team.

"Doug thought he was the best athlete on the playground," Frank says.

Lifford quickly interjects, "I was."

"That's because he cheated," Huerta responds.

"That's beside the point," Lifford says."

"Doug use to beat on the kids at school," Huerta says.

"He remembers because he used to be one," Lifford says, followed by laughter from both players.

When they aren't doing a Laurel and Hardy impersonation, the two are leading the Harvard men's squash team.

While the two are very close friends, they've taken completely different routes to Harvard.

One moved to Boston, while the other stayed in the sun in California. One would excel in squash, the other one in basketball and baseball.

Lifford took up an interest in squash during junior high in Boston, where he moved at the age of eight. At Belmont Hill, Doug helped his team capture the New England Interscholastic Championships.

The Quincy House resident also had an illustrious career on the junior circuit. During his first year in the 18-and unders, he was ranked seventh in the country, but he missed his second year becasue of a broken leg.

Huerta was not so lucky. Since squash isn't played much in California, he took up an interest in basketball and baseball. Squash would become a "recreation" for Huerta.

It wasn't until the 10th grade that he took up the game seriously.