M. Swim tries to stay undefeated

Facing its toughest challenge since November, the Penn men's swimming team is hoping its last home meet of the season will not be its first home loss. Tomorrow at 12:00 noon, the Quakers face Army at Sheerr Pool. "The stakes are higher," Penn coach Kathy Lawlor-Gilbert said. "It is going to come down to how much our team wants it. The team has trained hard and is focused on this meet." If Penn (6-4, 3-4 EISL) wins, it will tie Army for fifth place in the league and step up four places from last year. If not, the Quakers will have to settle for sixth. The Cadets defeated top-ranked Cornell earlier this season, while Penn fell to the Big Red. Penn is looking to break a 20-match losing streak against the Cadets. However, three times in the last nine years the Quakers have lost by only one point. "Everyone is psyched to win," senior captain Rob Morris said. "If everybody gets their head in the race, I think we can win." Beating Army will not be easy. According to assistant coach Mike Schnur, the Army squad is both versatile and powerful. "They have strong divers, solid deep sprinters and balance," Schnur said. "They really have no weaknesses. You can't pinpoint any events where they don't have solid swimmers. They are very tough." Army has been up front about its eagerness to defeat Penn. The Cadets will be leaving West Point today to avoid fatigue tomorrow. The bus trip is just two hours, a distance Penn has regularly traveled for meet days throughout the season. Because the Quakers are considering the home pool advantage integral to their success, Army's efforts to diminish this are significant. "Its a smart move," Penn sophomore Geoff Munger said. "That's the way a team should come down. We are going to have to step up more and stay undefeated at home." Although Army's front line looks formidable, it's not over 'til its over, according to Lawlor-Gilbert. "There is a lot more that goes into winning a meet than times on paper," Lawlor-Gilbert said. "You can't look at times and know who is going to win. This meet will depend on how focused and ready our team is." Penn will defend its home pool with an arsenal headed by Morris, junior Jim McGinnis and freshmen Jeff Brown and Ken Fletcher. Penn's most consistent performers, Morris, McGinnis, Brown and Fletcher will anchor the attack in freestyle and backstroke events. Penn will also be resting part of the team in preparation. "I'm expecting 100-percent effort from everyone," Schnur said. "The team is prepared and they want to do well." The Quakers will be using this meet to decide which swimmers will make up the 17-member squad heading to the Eastern Championships in March. Consequently, this will be the last meet of the season for 11 team members. "It's a really important meet," Morris said. "It's my last home meet after four years at Penn. I want us to go out and succeed."