The Penn men's golf team spent spring break in Southern California, practicing outdoors for the first time in 2006.
But even so, the Quakers appeared to be in mid-season form, capturing an impressive 12th-place finish at the Braveheart Classic.
Fifth-ranked UCLA dominated all three rounds at the Oak Glen Golf Course in Beaumont, Calif., cruising to a 19-stroke victory.
Penn played brilliantly in the first two rounds of the tournament, finding itself in sixth place going into the final round.
The Quakers were unable to keep up the momentum on the last day, however, netting a 313 and falling back to 12th in the competitive 20-team field.
This year's performance was a dramatic improvement from Penn's dead-last finish last year.
"This was a great way to start 2006," head coach Rob Powelson said.
Powelson noted that Penn -- the sole team from the Ivy League in the tournament -- was also one of very few teams from a cold-weather climate, making its finish all the more impressive.
Junior co-captain and California native Sean Barrett led the Quakers with a three-day total of 223, finishing 26th overall.
Given the team's strong start, Powelson and the Quakers are poised for a successful spring season.
"This tournament was a real shot in the arm for us," Powelson said. "We're ready to go."
The team will tee it up next at the George Washington Invitational, which is set to begin on March 24.
