Freshman Kristen Lange proved this weekend that age has little effect on outcome in squash.
The freshman advanced all the way to the finals at the Constable Invitational this weekend, climbing Princeton's ladder in the process - starting with Casey Riley and ending with Princeton's No. 1 player, Neha Kumar.
In the final match against Kumar, Lange put up a fight as they entered their fifth match tied 2-2, but her attempt fell just short.
"Neha won this one, but Kristin beat her in the scrimmage a few weeks ago, so let's just say this could be the beginning of a rivalry," Penn coach Jack Wyant said.
According to Wyant, Lange went above and beyond what was expected of her by progressing further than any other Penn player as the team's No. 2.
"We all tried really hard and [had] a lot of heart," Lange said. "The players that play with heart are going to be the players that succeed in the end."
Not only did Lange make a substantial impact on the Invitational, but teammate and fellow freshman Sydney Scott also managed to advance to the semifinals, where she was also defeated by Kumar.
"Overall, I was pleased with how we played," Wyant said. "I think there are definitely some things we could do better in the future, but this weekend was good preparation for the future."
Senior captains Paula Pearson and Radhika Ahluwalia advanced to the quarterfinals. Pearson was defeated by Scott, while Ahluwalia lost to Kumar.
"I don't like losing to a freshman, but I do appreciate the fact that they all bring extra talent to the team," Pearson said. "It makes us all work harder [now] that we have freshmen at one and two right now. It isn't a big deal because every player is important to this team."
The Red and Blue had plenty of intersquad competition, but it did not result in any hard feelings.
"Being competitive on the court is something that comes naturally to us," Ahluwalia said. "Off the court, we all bring a lot of things to the table and have such great chemistry. Nothing is forced."
This weekend was an example of this chemistry, since Penn had six members qualify for the tournament - which had only thirty total competitors. The high amount of Penn representatives confirms that the Quakers' No. 5 national ranking is well-deserved.
"The tournament itself is designed to have the top players in women's college squash in the draw," Wyant said, "so we were lucky to get six of them."
Other players to compete this weekend included sophomore Tara Chawla and freshman Britt Hedben, who both lost in their opening matches.
This weekend, Penn will travel to Yale to face off against the defending national champions.
"Last weekend was very important for national ranking," Wyant said. "It was important for the girls to get quality matches in with high levels of competition so their game can improve."
