The Penn men's swimming team ended the first part of the season on a high note, placing second in the LaSalle Invitational Tournament last weekend. The Quakers (1-2) scored 436.5 points in 40 swimming and two diving events, losing only to LaSalle. The tournament was a two-day meet which began Friday night and ran through Saturday afternoon. In addition to having many events in a short time period, Penn was also at a disadvantage by having competed in a dual meet with Swarthmore two days prior to the tournament. "Our swimmers were not shaved and were not rested, whereas many of their opponents were," Penn coach Kathy Lawlor-Gilbert said. "So the competition was a test to see how our swimmers would do in somewhat adverse circumstances." Despite the unfavorable conditions, Lawlor-Gilbert was pleased with the results. Sophomore Jon Maslow placed in the top three in both the 100 freestyle and the 50 freestyle. The 1650 team of Martin Rigby, Tom Ubaretta, Graham Nelson and Matt Dicker also put points on the board. Captain Colin Robinson likewise fared well, placing second in the 200 butterfly and narrowly missing first place by a couple tenths of a second. Penn echoed its results from its last meeting with LaSalle in the tournament in 1995, when the Quakers similarly placed second. Penn swimming is now off until January 10, when they face Rutgers in a home, dual meet. "Rutgers will be a very tough meet," Lawlor-Gilbert said. "They are a scholarship school, division one, and will be a force to reckon with because they have some strong swimmers."
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