While College Green and the local putting greens are still scattered with snow, the men's golf team will be heading West to play in the Braveheart Invitational in Beaumont, Calif.
As the spring season begins, the Quakers have high expectations. They are coming off a second-place finish in the Ivy League last year. It was the fourth second-place finish for the Quakers in the last five years, and this year, they will be chasing their first league title since 1998.
"Finishing second last year, [it is] where we want to be, we want to win an Ivy League Championship," coach Rob Powelson said.
Penn is returning two All-Ivy players. Junior Derek Rogers and sophomore Larry Nickell tied for seventh place at last year's Ivy League Championship.
Rogers, who has assumed the position of team captain, led the Quakers last year with a 75.8 strokes per round average.
Powelson, the first-year coach for the Quakers is impressed by his team.
"We have a good cast of supporting characters," he said.
That young cast includes three freshmen, four sophomores, one junior, and three seniors.
Powelson believes that while Rogers leads the team, "two sophomores are coming off a good fall." Those two sophomores are Sean Barrett and Patrick Cooper, who were second and third respectively in round average for the Quakers last year.
Furthermore, Powelson has expressed faith in his freshmen.
Garrett Wentzell and Dean Merrill "have been real producers for the team."
On top of Powelson's excitement about the quality of his team, he is simply excited to be a member of the Quakers.
"It is a remarkable institution. The resources are there to win," said Powelson, who played his collegiate golf at Saint Joseph's. "The history speaks for itself. It is kind of a rewarding feeling, people know about Pennsylvania athletics."
The Quakers head into the spring season with the confidence built up during the fall. The Red and Blue participated in four meets before the winter cold set in, highlighted by a second-place finish at the Cornell Invitational.
When Penn reaches California the team will take on four top-50 teams. This will certainly be a challenge for a team ranked 187th in the country. However, Powelson believes it is a task that his team can handle.
"We can compete on a national level," the coach said.
Fortunately for the Quakers, that ranking is good for second amongst Ivy League schools. Only Princeton, the defending Ivy Champion, is ranked higher at 147th.
But the rest of the Ancient Eight is close behind.
"The Ivy League is extremely competitive this year," Powelson said. "The talent level has gone up."
The first-year coach knows that his team will have to work hard and be motivated in order to take the Ivy crown.
"I challenge our guys this year with the classic saying of what have you done today to prepare for the Ivy League Championship," Powelson said.
"In my view this year's team really possesses the character and drive to win an Ivy League Championship."
