Veterans lead top-ranked W. Squash

Senior Katie patrick will provide inspiration for Penn's preseason No. 1 women's squash team. Who is Penn's only No. 1 nationally ranked sports team? Go ahead, take a minute. If you said "women's squash," either you're on the team, or you keep an uncommonly close eye on the squash world. After many years of watching Harvard and Princeton take the two top spots in the nation, this year those two Ivy squads start the season staring up at the Quakers. "The No. 1 rank doesn't mean anything," senior co-captain Katie Patrick said. "We have to live up to it." Penn will face their first mild challenge against a weak Cornell squad when the Quakers travel to Ithaca, N.Y., at 1:30 p.m. Saturday. "This is our first official event, so we have to get fired up," Patrick said. "But, it might be a little tough to get fired up for Cornell because they are not as good as a Princeton or a Harvard." Patrick is right; in their last two meetings, Penn and Cornell failed to provide any high drama. The Quakers beat the Big Red 8-1 two years ago and shut them out, 9-0, last year. But Cornell is certainly not any indication of what lies ahead for the Quakers. In order to stay No. 1 this year, the Quakers must continue to grow and improve. "I think it'll be harder to stay No. 1 because we are the focus of their efforts and we're the ones to beat," Patrick said. "They'll work even harder." Patrick is no stranger to hard work and success. She earned All-American kudos as a sophomore and a junior. She was also crowned Ivy League Rookie of the Year in her freshman year. In addition to being named All-American, Patrick was All-Ivy and Academic All-Ivy in her sophomore and junior years. A Wharton senior, Patrick plans to work next year as an investment banker or tax consultant. Is there a place for squash in Patrick's life after college? She doesn't see it in the cards. "My brother is a professional squash player. He's exactly why I'm not a pro," Patrick said. "It's really expensive to travel around the world playing squash and the tournament purses are pretty small." However, Patrick says she will "play the occasional tournament." For now, however, Patrick is the linchpin of a very special group of athletes. She, along with senior co-captain Paige Kollock, seek to set an example for the squash team both on and off the court. "Along with Paige, I try to lead my teammates by motivating them continually," Patrick said. "I stress to the team that the No. 9 player counts just as much as the No. 1 player." In addition to motivating her teammates, Patrick makes a concerted effort to play with everyone on the team. Although it is not beneficial to Patrick, she plays with her teammates and offers them advice. Hopefully, the Quakers will realize success this year and finish the season with the top national ranking. With the strong leadership of Patrick and Kollock, the Red and Blue may prove too much for their competition to handle. Unfortunately for the Big Red, Ithaca will be Penn's first stop on their championship journey.