M. Swimming needs underclass input

This weekend, the Penn men's swimming team heads to Army for the final meet of a difficult season --the Eastern Championships. Easterns, which are held today and Saturday, will feature the eight Ivy League schools plus Army and Navy. This meet is the sole determinate of the league champion. Last year at Easterns, Penn finished with the highest point total in school history. But it is unlikely that the Quakers (4-7, 3-7 EISL) will do as well this season. "Last year, we did exceedingly well. But a lot of that had to do with Jeffrey Brown, who graduated last year," Penn coach Kathy Lawlor-Gilbert said. Brown, who scored 56 points at last year's Easterns, was named co-swimmer of the meet and received the Howard Ulen Award for most points in a four-year career, winning the 200 butterfly for three consecutive seasons. Without Brown's presence, the Quakers did not perform as well in the regular season. To do better at Easterns, Penn will rely on several young swimmers to fill the void left by Brown. "We do not have as much talent as last year," Penn assistant coach Mike Schnur said. "It will be a real battle." Of the 17 swimmers and two divers traveling to Army for the three-day meet, only two -- Mark Spenner and Colin Robinson -- are seniors. Robinson, the team's captain, has been the Quakers' leader this year both in and out of the water, winning the 200 butterfly in several meets. The Penn coaches look to Robinson to finish off his collegiate career by earning points for Penn at Easterns. "Colin Robinson has never scored in the 200 fly [at Easterns]," Schnur said. "So that will be a nice way to end his career." Also expected to earn points for Penn is sophomore diver Kyle Goldbacher. Last season, Goldbacher became the first Penn Eastern diving finalist in 20 years. With a year of experience under his belt, the precocious diver should have little problem repeating. Two other Quakers sophomores should also figure in the scoring. Penn sophomores Matt Reilly and Jon Maslow, who finished fifth and sixth, respectively, in the 100 backstroke at at last year's Easterns, should each improve upon their impressive freshman showings. In addition, a strong corps of freshmen look to contribute at Easterns. Distance swimmer Blake Martin, who is seeded 12th in the mile freestyle, has been one of the top freshman performers this year. After several weeks of poor performances, the Quakers are ready to earn some points in the championship meet. Although Penn doesn't have the talent to compete with stronger teams like Harvard and Princeton, there is still an opportunity improve upon past performances. Last season, Penn finished sixth out of the 10 teams. Although the Quakers may not earn as many points this season, they should still beat weaker teams such as Dartmouth and Columbia. After two weeks of training and resting from a 233-65 thrashing of a loss to Harvard, Penn believes it will be in top condition this weekend. "We were only on track for a couple meets this season," Lawlor-Gilbert said. "I think they're ready to go and we'll just have to see what happens." After a tough season and some rough training, there is nothing left to do but swim. The Penn men swimmers will have to rely on the advice of their coach and hope for the best.