If you’re a Penn sports fan, you probably had at least one thing to be thankful for this Thanksgiving without necessarily knowing it.
That’s because you’ve already been witness to the best fall sports season in Penn history, with the volleyball team’s fate in the upcoming NCAA tournament still pending.
As a student journalist and (closet) Penn fan, it has been an absolute pleasure to follow and report on the unprecedented successes of our athletic teams so far this season.
The women’s soccer team won the Ivy League outright with a 4-1-2 conference record before a hard-fought 1-0 loss to Penn State in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
The men’s team finished second to Princeton but earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. The Quakers then defeated Bucknell to advance to the second round for the first time since 2002, before succumbing to No. 2 seed Maryland.
The aforementioned volleyball team tied with Yale for the conference crown and won a tiebreaker match to earn the Ancient Eight’s automatic postseason berth, proving itself as the best team in the league.
The football team was, as always, ineligible for the FCS tournament, but the Quakers finished their second consecutive undefeated conference season ranked No. 13 in the national coaches’ poll.
The sprint football team doesn’t technically compete in the Ivy League, but coach Bill Wagner’s squad did earn a share of the Collegiate Sprint Football League championship for the fourth time in history and the first time since 2000.
In all, Penn has taken home three Ivy League titles, a sprint football championship and at least one NCAA tournament victory in three appearances. Out of six fall team sports, only field hockey didn’t either finish at the top of its league or compete in the postseason.
To put that in perspective, Penn has won three fall Ivy League championships only three other times — in 1983, 1986 and 2002 — since the advent of Title IX 38 years ago.
Penn’s successes this fall hinged on key contributions from some underclassmen who stepped up into large roles.
For football, sophomore Billy Ragone led the Quakers at quarterback and was named one of four finalists for the league’s MVP award. His classmates Jeff Jack and Brandon Colavita provided an unstoppable presence in the backfield.
On the men’s soccer team, freshman Stephen Baker finished third in the League in points with eight goals and two assists, averaging 0.95 points per game.
For the women, Kerry Scalora was named Ivy Rookie of the Year, leading the team with five goals.
With respect to the graduating seniors, the success of younger players bodes well for the Quakers’ potential competitiveness in the years to come.
So if you know any fall athletes or happen to run into one on campus, offer him or her at least a quick word of congratulations or encouragement.
Thanksgiving may already be in the rear-view mirror, but I’m sure our athletes would be thankful for the support from their student peers in the Penn community.
ARI SEIFTER is a senior computer and cognitive science major from Ellicott City, Md., and is former Associate Sports Editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian. He can be contacted at
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