M. Swimming beats Dartmouth

At 5-foot-8, sophomore Rob Hassett is the smallest member of the Penn men's swimming team. But lately this diminutive dynamo has become one of the biggest assets to the squad, and Saturday was no exception. Hassett turned in his best unshaved performance ever in the 200-yard breastroke, as the Quakers defeated Dartmouth 139-104 at Scheerr Pool. "That's his event, and he often beats people that he shouldn't beat," team manager John Mishkin said. "That's a confidence builder for the team -- knowing that Rob will always come through for us in that event." While freestyle sprinters rely on sheer power, strength and speed, and the distance swimmers bank on a lean body and long strokes, those who excel in the breastroke must demonstrate great timing and technique. They also must be able to keep the stroke together for the entire race -- one of the few qualities in swimming independent of strength or size. A lot of swimmers can maintain good technique for 100 yards, but not the whole race. Hassett, who stays strong for the whole 200 yards, powers past opponents as their strokes fall apart. "You definitely need endurance for the 200 breastroke," Hassett said. "Maybe it's because I don't have as much muscle mass." Hassett's time of 2 minutes, 11.8 seconds was particularly impressive considering the Quakers (3-2, 3-2 EISL) had been mired in heavy-duty distance training for the two weeks prior to Saturday's meet. Sophomore Colin Robinson and freshman Kevin Reilly also turned in good times for the 200 individual medley and the 1,650 freestyle, respectively, despite having had little rest. "The guys, freshmen especially, are really learning to compete tired," coach Kathy Lawlor-Gilbert said. "In high school, these guys had to swim fast only a few times a year. In college, they must swim fast every week, and the transition is hard for some. We didn't rest much at all for this meet, and we responded positively to the challenge of swimming tired." Penn's go-to guys, junior Jeff Brown and freshman Ryan Kafer, combined to place first in five of the 13 events. Brown has not lost a race this season. The meet was close, with Penn winning seven events and Dartmouth taking six. The Big Green pounded the Quakers in their weaker events -- the 200 backstroke and the diving competitions. The Quakers took the lead after the first event, the 400 medley relay, and never relinquished it. Halfway through the meet, the Big Green only trailed by four points, but Penn pulled away soon afterward by going 1-2-4 in both the 200 butterfly and the 100 freestyle. "We knew Dartmouth was not as strong as our previous opponents, and it is important that we exert an honest effort at all times and that we don't swim down to the competition," Lawlor-Gilbert said. "We were broken down, coming off of Christmas training, and we knew Dartmouth was lean in talent and numbers," Brown said. "When you don't take a team seriously, you can swim sloppy, and you lose an opportunity to learn something from racing." With the win, Penn improved to 3-2 in the Ivy League and 3-2 overall. By propelling past the likes of Yale, Columbia and Dartmouth, the Quakers have climbed out of the basement of the Ivy League. The next few weeks will determine whether they are just taking a step up or a giant leap. With four meets remaining in the league schedule, Penn has a chance to assert itself as a force in one of the most competitive leagues in the country.