When the women on Penn's swim team step onto the poolside for their first meet this Saturday, they know they have big shoes to fill for the coming season. Last year, the Quakers finished fourth at the Ivy Championships and compiled a 12-4 overall record, one of their best seasons ever.
But still, the team is trying hard not to let its past merits dictate this season.
"I don't know what we're capable of yet," head coach Mike Schnur said. "We graduated a lot of seniors and the freshmen are a wild card right now."
The team opens its season with dual meets against both Lehigh and Rider at Lehigh on Nov. 10. Schnur expects the team to perform fine, as Penn has never lost to either Lehigh or Rider in the 34-year history of the program.
"Lehigh and Rider will be a good showing of our work so far," sophomore Andrea Balint said. "We'll know if we're in shape or not."
This meet is the first opportunity for the team's 11 freshmen to compete.
Although Penn diving has not been as strong in past years, senior captain Katherine Donohue expects that to change this year with the addition of three freshman divers, Madeline Bauer, Siobhan Carey and Terren Niethamer . Melissa Gardel, a sophomore, is the only returning diver.
Schnur is also relying on his sophomore class to carry the team this year, many of whom were Ivy finalists in the previous season. Sophomore Sara Coenen made her mark last year when she won two backstroke events in her first meet. In one race, she defeated the defending Ivy-champ from Harvard, in addition to breaking the school record in the 200-yard backstroke.
Balint, Coenen, Lauren Brandes and Amy Reams were the fastest and deepest group of freshmen sprinters in school history. Now as sophomores, they have even more to bring to the table.
Sophomore Ainsley Cookingham is also an Ivy contender in the breaststroke and Stephanie Nerby, also a sophomore, holds the school record in the 200 butterfly.
Penn had a "tremendous distance team" last year, according to Schnur, including Margot Newcomer and Cameron Villarreal from the Class of 2007. Now it's up to the freshmen distance swimmers, Naomi Delphin, Sarah Ernst and Genevieve Fleming to carry on the tradition.
Penn finished with a 4-3 record in the Ivies last year.
Despite having a relatively young team this season, senior captain Sarah Bargmann is not worried: "We're not just strong in one or two events. We have a lot of depth."
Balint echoed that sentiment by saying that the team is capable of doing even better than last year.
"Our freshmen can hold down the fort," she said.
