Penn squash: One up, one down

The arrival of coach Craig Thorpe-Clark three years ago marked the beginning of a revival for the Penn men's squash team.

Since then, the team has steadily improved, placing 10th last year at the NCAA tournament and posting its first winning season since 1996.

"I got the best out of this team that I could have gotten last year," Thorpe-Clark said. "We were good on the court and good off the court. We really formed as a team and that unity has stayed this year."

The Quakers look to continue climbing the national rankings this season. With seven of last year's starters returning, along with a talented crop of freshmen, this goal looks well within reach.

In fact, Thorpe-Clark's main problem so far has been paring down the field of 27 hopefuls who vied for 17 spots on the team during the preseason. With only nine starters, the increased competition has pushed each of the Quakers to work harder than ever.

"It's put a lot of focus on people being disciplined," Thorpe-Clark said. "We're fitter and better than last year."

Among Penn's returning players are junior Roberto Kriete and senior co-captain John Griffin, who played at the No. 2 and No. 3 positions, respectively, last year. Also returning are junior Elian Levy and sophomores Matt Vergare and Jason Lam, each of whom amassed 9 wins last season.

Meanwhile, the Quakers also boast eight freshmen, including the nation's top recruit in Rich Repetto. Repetto, a five-time national champion, fills the No. 1 spot left by the graduation of Peter Withstandly.

"We're really happy about the younger players coming in and stepping up right away," Penn senior co-captain John Griffin said. "I'm confident that they're going to be impact players."

While the No. 10 Quakers face a grueling schedule -- they will play each of the nine teams ranked above them -- they have high hopes of improving upon last year's finish at nationals.

Of the 17 teams that compete at the national championships, the top eight compete in the 'A' draw while the remaining nine make up the 'B' draw. The Quakers' results during the season placed them in the 'B' draw last year, so the best they could finish was ninth.

After cruising in the early rounds of the tournament, the Quakers eventually fell to Ivy rival Dartmouth in the finals.

This year however, the Quakers know exactly what they want -- a spot among the top eight teams in the country.

With a strong mix of experience and new talent, the Quakers have the potential to do well.

"This year we're stronger because we have more depth," Thorpe-Clark said. "Number nine is just as important as number one. Everyone needs to be a real contributor for this team."

After getting their feet wet in last weekend's Ivy Scrimmage, the Quakers face their first test this weekend against Western Ontario and Cornell, the nation's No. 5 and No. 6 ranked teams.

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