The seniors on the women's swimming team would love to leave Sheerr Pool for the final time with two more notches in the win column.
But besting Navy and Rider tomorrow, after a Senior Day ceremony, will not be easy for Lauren Bergstrom, Lindsey Gottschalk, Nicole Malgeri, Amy Wolf and the rest of the Quakers.
They did beat Rider last year, 195-104, but they could not hold off Navy, losing, 151-149.
It was the second-straight year that the Navy meet came down to the final race, and the Quakers are expecting more of the same this weekend. Both Navy and Rider return a few standout swimmers, according to Penn coach Mike Schnur.
"[The Broncos] have two or three women that are really good, better than our top two or three women," Schnur said. "Navy is similar. Their best five are better than our top five. Our advantage is our depth."
If the Quakers hope to win, they'll need to rely on that depth, as they continue to be plagued by many ailments. Most recently, sophomore diver Madeline Bauer has succumbed to injury and will be unable to compete this Saturday.
One of the aforementioned Navy standouts is Thuy-Mi Dinh. The junior backstroker and freestyler became the first female swimmer in Patriot League history to qualify for the NCAA championships. She also competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials this past summer in the 50 freestyle.
Junior freestyler Amy Reams is ready to take on Dinh.
"It will be exciting to swim against her," Reams said. "It's fun to compete against the best."
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