The Penn wrestling team enters the final chapter of its season with the goal of becoming the greatest Quakers squad in history still very much within reach.
With a top-five national finish as their stated goal, the eighth-ranked Quakers send six wrestlers to the NCAA Championships, which begin today in Albany, N.Y.
In order for Penn to end the season ranked in the nation's first five, the Red and Blue would need each of its wrestlers to have career performances.
"All of us would have to finish All-American," Penn senior co-captain Yoshi Nakamura said. "We're positioned well. We set our goals very high, both as a team and individually. If we live up to our potential, we can get top-five, definitely top-10."
Nakamura will be joined by fellow seniors Rick Springman, Josh and Joe Henson -- each of whom gained automatic bids -- sophomore Mason Lenhard and freshman Matthew Feast, who were at-large selections.
Nakamura is coming off an All-American season a year ago, while Springman was an All-American in 2000 before taking off last year.
Nakamura grabbed the second seed in the nation at 157 pounds by virtue of his 31-1 regular season record and three straight EIWA titles. He is seeded behind Nebraska's Bryan Snyder.
"I think I've got a pretty good chance at winning," Nakamura said. "I'm not going there to lose. I'll just take it one match at a time and see how it goes."
Senior Josh Henson is the No. 5 seed at 165 pounds coming off his EIWA title and 32-4 season record. Iowa State's Joe Heskett took the top seed.
"I'm really confident," Henson said. "I'm at 100 percent and wrestling the best of my career. I think I'm well positioned to win."
Springman garnered the sixth seed at 174 pounds despite a disappointing finals loss to Greg Parker of Princeton at the EIWAs. Josh Henson, who also lost in the championship round in the Eastern regional finals is seeded 10th at 149 pounds.
Feast, a heavyweight, and Lenhard at 125 pounds are unseeded heading into the competition.
"We're sending six wrestlers who are capable of putting a lot of points on the board," Penn coach Roger Reina said. "All are capable of being All-Americans and going toe-to-toe with the best in the country."
Despite entering the tournament as unseeded underdogs, both Feast and Lenhard have reasons to be optimistic, according to their coach.
"We've been wrestling top competition all season," Reina said. "Both [Lenhard] and Feast already have faced a lot of the competition that they will see. They can take confidence from that schedule and how they've done."
Feast also anticipates success.
"One of my goals before the season was to become an All-American, and this is the first step," Feast said.
While the Quakers bring a qualified group to the Championships, quantity could hamper the Red and Blue. Top squads, such as defending champ Minnesota, frequently have their entire squads compete.
"Teams have brought less than six before and finished in the top-five before so there is precedent for it," Reina said.
The circumstances are right for Penn to garner its highest finish in the program's history.
"If we live up to our potential, we can get top-five, definitely top-10," Nakamura said.
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