What a long, strange trip it’s about to be.
This Friday, Penn men’s swimming begins the first of seven straight Ivy League road matchups at Columbia.
After a win last weekend against UConn (which finished undefeated in dual meets last season), Penn (1-0) will look to build momentum heading into a tough stretch away from home.
Junior Chris Swanson , who set an Ivy League Championship record in the 1650-yard freestyle last season, will lead the Quakers into Ivy League play. In addition to setting a record, Swanson was also named the ‘Phil Moriarty Swimmer of the Meet’ at the Ivy League Championships.
Junior Brendan Crystal and sophomores Cole Hurwitz and Wes Thomas , all three of whom were scholar All-Americans, add to a deep Penn roster. The group led the Red and Blue to third place at the Ivy Championships last season, their best finish since 1972.
The Lions (2-0), who finished fifth at the Ivy League Championships last season, will also be kicking off their Ivy League season.
Last season Penn beat Columbia handily, 185-113. Lions’ senior Kevin Quinn will anchor the Columbia squad, which is coming off wins against Iona and Army in a tri-meet last Friday at West Point.
The Quakers must start the season off right if they are to overcome a schedule with no home Ivy League meets. Columbia will be the first of many tests, and that test is set for Friday at 6 p.m. in Manhattan.
